Parts of a whole
by shana2
Summary: l/j hate. not ur everyday fic! quite a lot of humor and good reviews. about 3 swears but i'm not rating it up.
1. letters

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 1.  
  
POV: Lily, James  
  
The owl was trying to kill me, I swear. Finally, it stopped squawking after I threatened to get a stun gun and tranquilize it. [it must've understood something I was saying!] It sat on my bed and stuck it's right foot out at me. I noticed, for the first time, a letter attached to the foot. All I was thinking was 'weird!'  
  
Somehow, I opened the letter and read it. In the meantime, I screamed. A scream of joy and delight and everything else happy. Why? Because it was a letter from a boarding school, which meant I got to go to school away from Petunia, my older sister.  
  
My mum, dad, and Petunia rushed into my room when they heard me. Believe me, I think Petunia was genuinely worried for me. Well, that was okay, I guess. Mum asked what was the matter, and I thrusted the letter at her. I yelled something about getting a suitcase and ran to the linen closet to get one. My father called after me, saying that I would need a trunk. Was he kidding? A trunk? Well, it was fine with me. I went up to the attic and lugged the black one down to my bedroom. As soon as it was opened, I threw clothes into it.  
  
"Lily, Lily! Calm down, darling!" Mum said to me.  
  
"I can't!" I replied. "I'm going to boarding school!"  
  
"Honestly," I heard her mutter, "I wasn't this excited when I left home."  
  
I stopped and turned around. Petunia was sitting on my bed picking at her nails, daddy was looking at me, and mum was scrutinizing the letter. "You went to boarding school?"  
  
"Of course!" Mum exclaimed. "So did your father. Public schooling just wasn't that great in those days. In fact, if I remember correctly, I went to this school."  
  
"What school?" I wasn't the only one, daddy said it too.  
  
"Hogwarts."  
  
Petunia laughed. "Hogwarts? What kind of name is that for a school?"  
  
"It's a darn good school, young lady. Mighty expensive, but we can afford it."  
  
"We can," Daddy said, as if she was saying was unbelievable.  
  
"Of course! By the way, would you two let me speak to Lily for a moment? Alone?" What was she doing? Daddy and I were much closer, but I guess it was okay to talk to mum. I mean, she was a girl. You can't talk about girl stuff to a guy—to your father!  
  
Daddy and Petunia left. I sat next to mum on my bed. "What do you want?"  
  
"I just want to tell you a few things. You know that I went to this school, but you don't know what you'll learn there."  
  
"Normal school stuff, right?" Which was what I had figured.  
  
"No, darling. This is a witchcraft and wizardry school. You'll be learning magic."  
  
"I WHAT?" Huh?  
  
"Yes, Lily. You will be learning magic. You and I are witches, but your father and sister are not. Don't you wonder sometimes why you and Petunia aren't as unhealthy as others? And if you become seriously hurt, how come you mend so quickly?"  
  
"Because I have a good immune system?" Wrong answer, I knew it.  
  
"No. Because I put a spell or charm on you."  
  
"Oh. Kay." Okay... "Well, what's with the owl?"  
  
"Thats our way of mail. Oh, Lily, I'm so pleased that I passed on the traits to someone else! I thought you and Petunia were true Muggles. Maybe the baby..."  
  
"What baby?"  
  
"Oh, darling. I'm pregnant."  
**********  
One year earlier...  
  
"Yes, I got it!"   
  
"The letter, Jamsie, you got the letter?" my mother called from the kitchen. She and my dad ran into the sitting room.  
  
"Yeah, the letter. I'm in!"  
  
"That's my boy, James. That's why the owl seemed so regal... It is a little late, though; school starts in a week." He took the letter and looked it and it's second page over.  
  
I was so happy; I wasn't a Muggle after all. I had been convinced that I wouldn't get the letter that enrolled me in Hogwarts. But, it came. I was hit with a sudden idea. "Dad, when you were gone, is that where you went? To Hogwarts to make sure I was enrolled?"  
  
He seemed a bit flustered as he replied. "Er—no, son. I was out on—on Ministry business. And I must leave once more in a fortnight."  
  
"You're never home, Thomas. You're always out and about." Mum looked seriously sad as she spoke to dad. I knew what was coming next, they talked like this so often nowadays.  
  
"That's the life of an Auror, Debra. It's my duty to keep the Magical community safe."  
  
I slipped out of the sitting room just as mum replied. "I know, but sometimes I wonder if you want to be away from home so much." I reached my bedroom and stepped in, shutting the door behind me and locking it.  
  
Shoot, I'd left the letter in dad's hand. Oh well. I sat at my desk and took out some parchment. Dipping the nearest quill into an inkbottle, I started the letter to one of my best friends, Sirius Black.  
  
Minutes passed as I wrote. The voices died down. I finished the letter and put it into an envelope. Then, I took out some more parchment and wrote another letter, this one to my other best friend Remus Lupin. After a while, I finished and took out a sheet of Muggle paper and a pen.   
  
I wrote a letter to my Muggle best friend, Johnny Glutarrin. I explained that I had been accepted into a boarding school, and I wouldn't be seeing him next year at the public school. I felt genuinely sorry, I had known Johnny as long as I had known Sirius and Remus. He was like a brother to me, he knew everything about me from what size shoes I wear to what girl I liked at the moment. I was already missing him.  
  
I shook off the feeling. It's not like I wouldn't see him again in my life; we got vacation in Hogwarts, right? Hopefully, the answer to that question was yes.  
  
Just as I had finished sending out my owl, Dizzy [short for Disney], out and sticking a stamp on to the letter to Johnny, Dad opened the door and walked in my room. "Did I hear anyone knock?" I said, realizing that I had locked the door.  
  
"Sorry, son. But I'm going to be leaving again tonight. The Ministry reckons that they've sighted Dark Magic being used near the Edinsburgh castle. You'll have to go to Diagon Alley with your mother."  
  
"Alright, I guess." Not okay! What if someone I knew saw me shopping with my mother? Wait, why was I worrying? Everyone thought my parents were cool! Dad's an Auror, and Mum had some sort of record with the number of points taken off for a single student at Hogwarts. "When are you coming back?"  
  
"Fifteenth of September."  
  
"Oh. I see."  
  
"Yes. So, I, uh—have a good time at school, I guess."  
  
"Thanks, dad. I will. I hope you get whoever's using the Dark Magic."  
  
"Me too."  
  
I watched him shut the door. I watched the door shut. I watched the door. Watched the door. The door. Door.  
  
My mum walked in. I shook my head and revived myself from the trance. "Hi, mum."  
  
"Hi James. Did your father tell you about our trip tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And I've invited Remus and Sirius to come with us. Believe me, their mother's were glad it was you going with me and not them going with you."  
  
Did I tell you my Mum was cool?  
**********  
author's totally confusing note to the readers:   
okay, most of u reading this have read the earlier—i mean later chapters already. and i have to warn you that this chap is confusing. the first part is one year after the second part. which, translated into normal person talk, means that lily is one year younger than james.   
dont start getting ideas, now, about some stuff i wrote about. because u might b right. know what i mean? and i left you with a lot of cliffhangers, so click the next chapter link right now!  
i think i'm putting 2 many chaps up. rite now there r 5. [well, when i posted this] So i'm thinking 20 reviews until i post the 6th chap? maybe 4 reviews per chapter... last time i checked, there were 4 reviews. better speed it up! :-)  
well, hope u like this. review! and if u liked it, tell peeps about it! and if u really really loved it, put it on ur faves list! but u dont have 2 just cuz i told u to, its just a suggestion. ;-) 


	2. shopping

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 2.  
  
POV: James, Lily  
  
Diagon Alley was one of the coolest places I've ever been to. Seriously. They had everything there from a pub to a hotel to an ice cream parlor! Very cool, if you ask me. I'm surprised Mum and Dad hadn't brought me here before, seeing as it's the only magic 'shopping area' sort of thing in all of London. Weird, I know.  
  
What Mum did was give Sirius, Remus, and me each a bit of our own money as we entered each store. That way, she could stand off to the side as sort of a chaperone and let us buy our own stuff as she watched. She, of course, did not give us money to buy brooms, books that told us how to really freak people out, or the bright orange robes that looked terrible on us. Hey, they weren't on our supply list, so we figured it was sort of okay. All three of us were pretty ticked about the no-broom thing, so Mum treated us to ice cream sundaes. I already told you that she is cool. But she made us pay for extra toppings and seconds. I guess that's fair.  
  
The week left of vacation went by quickly. Mum made me read a little bit of each book so I'd know something about what the teachers were talking about on the first day. I spent the rest of my time with Sirius and Remus at the Black house, flying on Mr. Black's old brooms—he plays Quidditch for England, which is really cool, because he can usually get us tickets. Just not the nine needed for Sirius' family, my family, and Remus' family. Which isn't super cool.  
  
On the first of September, we went to King's Cross (the train station) and went to Platform 9 and 3/4. Mum made me put my trunk on a trolley and push it through the wall by myself. Well, she had her downsides, I guess.  
  
Just before I got on the bright scarlet Hogwarts Express, mum surprised me with my very own owl. It was sort of a tawny color and huge. Almost eagle-like, and I've only seen eagles in the zoo.   
  
She told me to name the owl right away, and I said Disney.   
  
Why? Because mum had taken me, Sirius, Remus, Johnny, Sarah and Zina [two other witches that we had met the other day] to a double Walt Disney feature: Cinderella and Snow White, American animated movies that had just come to England a few weeks ago, though they are really much older than that. Girl movies, I know, but they are actually really cool. Animation is awesome, and I had tried my hand at drawing some characters from the movies. They were really good, according to Zina. And she could be a pro, so I trusted her.   
  
Either way, mum was glad about the name. She said it reflected my personality: persistent and awesome artist. Flattering. Very flattering. [I found out later that she had gotten a hold of Walt Disney's life story and read it word by word; I think it may be her favorite book/story for now...]  
  
After few hours on the Hogwarts Express, a lot of games of Exploding Snap, and way too much candy, we finally reached the school. Or should I say castle, because that is what it really is. We pulled robes over our normal clothes and left our other stuff back on the train.  
  
All of the new kids—first years—were called over to one side by the giant moat. Then, we got into boats for four. Sirius ended up going on a boat with three other girls who crooned over him; 'ha ha' from me. Remus, Sarah, Zina and I got into the boat behind Sirius.   
  
We talked a lot, and Zina told us that her real name was Angel Izinia, but most people don't consider her an Angel—not even her own parents, for that fact! So she shortened it to Zina: the first two letters of her first and last name put backwards. Cool, I guess. I told her I was just James. That got a laugh out of everyone. (though Remus later said that Zina and Sarah were just flirting. Oh well.) Sarah told us that she was from an all-Wizard family (the 'Andreski's), and the rest of us agreed to that. We also agreed that it would be hard for each of us to relive our childhoods, not that it's not over, without magic. It was an incredibly big part of our everyday lives, and it would be impossible to let go of it.  
  
After we reached the shore and all got out of the boats, we went into the school. There, we participated in this weird sorting ceremony thing. We put on a hat that talked to us and then told us which house, or section we were going to be in. Not hard at all, in my opinion.  
  
The five of us got put into Gryffindor. Then we ate food off these magic gold platters that refilled themselves. After that, Headmaster (dean) Apocoliptis Dumbledore gave a speech. And it was off to bed with us. Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl took us to the Gryffindor tower and showed us around a little bit.  
  
We had homework almost everyday of school. Our schedules were kind of confusing, but after a while we got the hang of life at Hogwarts. We had two hour classes, two in the morning, two in the evening. There were just a few main classes: Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Charms, and Potions. They interchanged every few days. It was hard to remember which way all the classes were; on the first day of school Prefects helped us find our way around the school. After that, it was 'ask a ghost or portrait' for us. That was okay, unless you asked Sir Cadigan the mad knight, the Bloody Baron (a scary ghost), or Peeves the poltergeist. That wasn't such a good idea. Of course, Nearly Headless Nick was our house ghost, so he was happy to lend a helping hand. That would go right through you.  
  
Christmas and Easter bashes were huge, and I heard that there was a dance for fifth years and above on both holidays if you didn't go on vacation. We got 14 days of vacation for Christmas/New Year's, and 7 days for Easter. On the last day of school, we all were sure we would miss it, but not that much. We had three months of no classes! Who wouldn't be happy?  
  
Oh yeah, I forgot the most important part. Sirius and I were totally the practical jokers of the school, occasionally along with Remus (though he was sick a lot and eventually told us why), or Zina and Sarah. We earned quite a few enemies, especially Ravenclaws and Slytherins, who seemed to hate our whole house.  
  
But, all in all, it was an awesome first year.  
**********  
One year later...  
  
Mum and Daddy saw me off. Petunia was convinced that she shouldn't come, so she didn't. It was kind of weird to go through the wall with my trunk on to Platform 9 and 3/4 and seeing the red train. My eyes watered a little; I sure would miss Mum and Daddy. But not Petunia. Definitely not her.  
  
I sat in a compartment with a girl with blonde hair named Andrea, though she preferred Andi. Since we were alone, three guys walked in just as the train started. They introduced themselves as James, Sirius and Remus. They seemed okay for a bit, for twelve-year-old boys anyway. Until they started bragging.  
  
Actually, James was the one bragging, but it was so annoying. And luckily, mum had taught me a few simple charms before I left home. I used the silencing one one James almost immediately. He was ticked, but everyone else laughed. Since I didn't know how to un-do it, we had to wait until a higher student walked past our compartment to have him talk again. It was a long wait, and I survived it by talking to Andi and the other two. I found out that Sirius is obsessed with trouble, and Remus's mum is sick. I gave my condolences, of course. And by then a fourth year walked past.  
  
Once we got to the school, we went on these boats to the school. Once inside the school, we got 'sorted' by putting on a hat that shouted out a word. The word it shouted out was the house you got put in. Andi and I got put in Gryffindor.   
  
When we got sorted, there were two empty seats on one end of the table, near the three guys and these two other girls, who told me that they were Sarah and Zina. I sat in one empty seat, and James had so kindly put a sort of whopee cushion on my chair. In retaliation, I made his plate repel all the food he tried to put on it. Even still, he made my goblet blow up during the Headmaster's speech.   
  
So, I guess you could say we got off on the wrong foot. And, I figured that the wrong foot it would stay.  
  
After the meal, we went up to the Gryffindor tower to sort of tour it. There was a big lounge, called the common room, with two stairwells leading up to the boys' dorm and the girls' dorm. Then these people called Head Boy and Girl gave us this big lecture about rules and classes and schedules. Yawn.  
  
So, in the middle of the speech, Andi and I raced up to the first year girls' dorm and called the beds by the window. Of course people looked at us, but who really cares, you know?   
  
I had the brilliant idea to curse James in his sleep, but Andi was against it. She said that we had classes tomorrow, and that we needed some sleep. All that food we had eaten at the was making her drowsy, I think. I snapped her out of it by dragging her into the bathroom attached to our dorm room and splashing water on her face. Easy enough.  
  
We went through one of the books I had bought, a book called 'Curse Your Friends and Your Enemies.' After flipping the pages super slowly, we finally found a curse that turned people's hair different colors.  
  
I decided to substitute pink in for black. Boy, would James have a surprise waiting for tomorrow morning. I set my clock to ring at 4 AM, and then went to bed.  
  
I fell asleep almost right away. But before I fell asleep, I heard the other first year girls walk into our dorm. And then I finally fell asleep.  
**********  
hey, ho, hey, ho: i finally put up the prologue! well, the first 2 chapters... :-) i hope it's good.   
and if u havent read the next chapters, click them. but first, review! and then click submit review. and then click the title. and then click the drop down menu bar and click chapter 3, since this is chapter 2.   
can u believe i fit james's whole first year into 17 chapters?! i cant. [a/n addition] okay, 1 chap, not 17. :-p  
email me at conshallow@hotmail.com with questions. AIM im2crazygirl if i am online. add me 2 ur MSN buddy list. :-) your choice. just please please review, because i dont know if you dont like the story if you dont review.  
remember, 20 reviews before the 6th chapter! 


	3. 1st day

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 3.  
  
POV: James  
  
I woke up early: 6:30-ish, I was thinking. I had the feeling that somebody was watching my, but my curtains were closed. You know how you can feel that sometimes? I rubbed his eyes and yawned, making a big show of waking up in case anyone was watching me. I got out of my bed, my glow-in-the-dark boxers glowing dimly [ha ha, very funny]. Then I walked into the small bathroom and looked at myself.   
  
That was about when I screamed. He looked awful! My usually black hair was not black, and it wasn't in its normal mess. It was neon pink and and combed. What kind of sicko would comb my hair? Familiar handwriting in lipstick written diagonally on the mirror explained everything.  
  
aint it cute? thank sirius 4 teaching me. lotsa luv — ur best bud  
  
I tried my hardest not to scream my head off. I loved my hair, and it was—it was pink, thanks to a Miss Lily Evans! I ran out of the bathroom and to my nightstand, to where my wand was. I muttered the color changing curse, substituting black. Nothing happened. I still had—yuck—pink hair.  
  
I rushed over to Sirius' trunk, looking for shoe polish or something to discolor the pink. Nothing. I then ran over to Remus' trunk. Nothing again. Why couldn't people help me out here? I was hit by a revalation: Peter. He was always making sure his shoes were perfect. Couldn't let his mum find out he wasn't keeping up his normal nerdy look [that or his, ugh, crush]. I went over to the trunk and saw the polish sitting on top of it, next to Peter's shoes. I grinned evilly and went to the bathroom. And after that, I took a field trip to the girl's dormitory.  
**********  
Lily woke up quite proud of herself. She had gotten James back, almost. There were still many, many things she had to do to him. She put her hand through her hair, but it felt very wrong. It was kind of sticky and oily, and her hand had turned black. She went to the bathroom and shrieked when she saw her reflection. Her red hair was black, and the ivory skin on her face was black, too.  
  
"Prepare to cease living, James Potter." She started scrubbing, caught up in the anger and forgetting that she was a witch.  
**********  
At breakfast that morning Lily looked dreadful. She had tried to wash all the gunk off her face and hair. But it was impossible. The wonder of shoe polish. She still had black shoe polish all through out her hair, with a few auburn streaks showing through it. She must have scrubbed and scrubbed, but all she had got out of it was black smears all over her face. And she looked sick.  
  
I knew that I looked perfectly normal, except it looked like I used grease or something in my hair. Lily glared at me as she sat next to me, that being the only empty seat.  
  
"Hi Lily. You sleep good?" I asked casually.  
  
"Oh I'm just peachy. How 'bout you?" She replied bitterly, still glaring.  
  
"I'm great. I'm sorry to break this to you, but you look awful." My face must have looked innocent enough, but my eyes were laughing out loud. Lily's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Really? I didn't know that. It looked okay to me."  
  
I looked at my food as I helped myself and replied. "Yeah, I mean, yesterday you looked okay, for a girl. Now you look like something out of the bog in the Forbidden Forest."  
  
Lily pressed her lips together and her hand went into her pocket. Subtle, I guess. I could practically hear her thinking: 'I am not going to kill him in front of witnesses. I am not going to kill him in front of witnesses. I am not going to kill him in front of witnesses. I am not—'  
  
I shouted. "ARGH!!!!"  
  
My eyes went big and I stood up. I couldn't help it, it was just sort of happening.  
  
"Um...I think I better go chat with Sirius," Lily said. "Sirius, buddy, how are ya?"  
  
She stood up to leave, but I grabbed her cloak and pulled her back down.  
  
"Idiot!" she said. She took a breath. I just waited for the reply; girls usually didn't contradict me. "I do not know what your problem is, James Potter, but you have definite people problems. You have no idea what you put half the people here at Hogwarts through. They're so frightened to make you mad, they won't even sneeze in front of you."  
  
I tried not to laugh, even though I was floating towards the ceiling, listening to an eleven-year-old lecture me, and people were staring at me. "And how exactly would you know this? You've been here for," I glanced at my watch, "eighteen hours."  
  
Lily clenched and unclenched her hands. "Can you just keep your comments to yourself for five seconds?"  
  
I thought for a moment. "I dunno. I've never tried." I glanced up and noticed that I was about three meters from the ceiling. I looked back at the staff table and saw Dumbledore running towards me.  
  
I could tell Lily was just amused as I was. Wait—scratch that. She was three times as amused as I was. I was having some fun.  
  
"Well, maybe you should. I'd like to see you try."  
  
I looked at her. "You're on. Right—about—now." One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four one-thou—  
  
"Frinjerila!" Dumbledore shouted, directly below me. She was standing on a table.  
  
I froze. Totally froze. I was just hanging in midair like that, about to hit the ceiling.  
  
The entire hall was silent, except Lily and Sirius. They were laughing hysterically.  
  
Lily stopped. "I believe that is an excellent freezing spell, Professor Dumbledore. But I'm not entirely sure about how it happened though. Either way, I think Sirius did it."  
  
Sirius let his mouth drop. "I did not! Not like last year." Too true; I knew who I thought had done it today, and last year.  
  
Remus nodded. "I have to agree with him, Professor. He has only lifted his fork. What else during mealtime?"  
  
Lily looked confused. Fake-confused. "Must have been you then Remus."  
  
"Lily! Stop blaming people," I shouted in my mind. Dumbledore said it out loud, adding, "and jumping to conclusions."  
  
"I don't mean to bother anybody, but could I get down now?" Oops, thought-speak again. I felt someone at my feet; girls were trying to pull me down. Oh great.  
  
Lily noticed me and tried not to laugh. "Professor, I personally think we should leave him there. Only make his head bigger and shrink his body." She grinned, I glared (but nothing happened). "That's the way he is you know. A big headed idiot." Realizing what she said to whom, Lily covered her mouth with her hand and genuinely blushed. "Er...sorry about that."  
  
Andrea broke in. "She really is Professor, she's just upset because James put shoe polish in her hair and face. That's why she looks horrible."  
  
Dumbledore smiled, and her brown eyes glowed warmly. Girl stuff. "You know Lily, I think your temper is the issue, and I also think it's your fault that James is up there, with girls pulling off his shoes trying to get him down."  
  
"Really?" She said pleased and then tried frowning. "Um...I don't think I could have done that."   
  
"Don't worry too much about it. I'll just get him down, take him to see Madam Pomfrey, and then give you your first detention."  
  
Lily looked somewhat shocked. I laughed, inwardly of course. "But I only shot him up towards the ceiling! I really wanted to kill him, but he knew that. But it was also Andrea's idea so she can come with me!"  
  
Andrea glared at her. "Yeah, all my idea," she muttered. I realized that Andrea had done nothing. Damn, I'm slow.  
  
Dumbledore smiled again. "You'll both just have it then."  
  
Lily smiled, detention by herself would be boring, but with Andrea they could think up lots of horrible things to do to me. Oh great, not a great idea. Now I have to get detention today.  
  
"And I'll make sure that Mr. Potter is with you, for what he did to you this morning." Well, Dumbledore made it easy enough.  
  
Lily's smile faded. "Oh no! You don't have to do that. I mean, it was just a little prank." She put out her fingers so they were almost touching, just a few millimeters away. "Just a little teeny, weeny prank."  
  
Sirius laughed. "Not compared to what Lily did to him. She turned his hair pink!"  
  
Lily turned to him. "Sirius, you are not making this any better."  
  
He grinned. "Not making it any worse though, am I?" I have to tell you, if I was down there I'd be howling, even given the fact that I had just gotten another detention.  
  
Lily looked back at Dumbledore, "I did turn his hair pink. But Sirius told me how, so therefore he should also have detention. And Remus too for that matter." I just realized what she was doing. She was reverse psychology-ing Dumbledore into giving all of us detention.  
  
"Why? What did I do?" Remus asked shocked.  
  
Lily looked him up and down. "I'm not sure yet. But I'll think of something."  
  
Sirius pulled out a little notebook from his robe and turned to a page near the back and mad a mark. "Only eight-thousand, three-hundred forty five to go," he said.  
  
"Eight what?" Lily asked confused.  
  
"Eight-three-four-five: how many detentions I need until I'm expelled." He turned to Dumbledore and added, "I really didn't want to follow in my father's footsteps, but he made me do it." Sirius, I thought, you are such a bad liar.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm sure he did, Mr. Black. And, I am pleased to say that your arithmetic is correct, but your idea a little off. Your father did not get expelled; he ran away on graduation night, so technically he graduated and everything. And speaking of getting expelled, you all better go to your classes, before you're late. I'll take care of Mr. Potter."  
  
I was grateful that she actually remembered me.   
  
Lily grabbed her schedule and books. "Don't worry about Potter, he's easy to forget." She ran out of the Great Hall, giving me a small wave.   
  
I swear, if I didn't hate the girl, I'd be going out with her.  
**********  
A/N a/n A/N a/n: Well, my 1st fic with a 2 pov plot. did u get the top, where it says 'POV: I, me=James'? that means jp is in the 1st person pov, and the section between is in 3rd person omniprescent or however u spell it. [a/n addition] that system died so you should see the new system up.  
ha ha, i changed my PenName to shana!. i think i did. hopefully it will work. and it wont confuse u all. and if u type shana in the search bar hopefully i'll show up. let's find out now... well, not rite now cuz i'm not online. [a/n addition] i didnt.  
do u get the title? L/J=2 parts of a whole:Lily divided by James equals two parts of a whole. like they r against each other/are divided. get it now? ok, i'm explaining too much. [a/n addition] that is not the title anymore.  
R/R please please please! Heraclas, Davita, Dee-vine, Harry'sLostSister, lumos & nox, Dorthey Star? any of you? my faithful reviews who i think reviewed all the chapters of all my stories. htg @ least.  
i dont think i need a disclaimer. if u think i do, click the terri stories by me or something.  
well, i hope the actual chapter part of this is long enuf 4 u all. :) longer than others, like Lily., that's 4 sure. send ?s to conshallow@hotmail.com, add me 2 ur MSN contact list, or AIM me at im2crazygirl , ok? 


	4. death

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 4.  
  
POV: Lily  
  
My first class, potions, had definitely been the worst of the day. There were these two stupid boys that kept on making fun of me, and making jokes about me and Potter. I mean, where do they get those stupid ideas? I hate James.  
  
The dumb boys, who I figured were from Slytherin (duh) and were called Lucius Malfoy, Tuck Avery, Crabbe and Goyle by insane people; but sane people call them all losers. They had followed me to almost all of my classes, even though most of them were second years. When the day was over, I burst with joy. Me and Andi went up to the Gryffindor Common Room to finish our homework. I couldn't believe they'd given us homework on the first day of school, but Andrea had expected it. Her sister seemed to tell her she needed to know about Hogwarts. Come to think of it, I have never met her sister...  
  
We had to write a whole page of information on a potion of their choice. I didn't even know all of the potions, so I had stopped by the library and probably gotten every book they had on it that wasn't in the restricted section and I could carry. We plopped them down on a table in the corner of the common room and Andi sat across from me.  
  
"Alright Andi, what should we do?" I asked.  
  
"Um...our potions homework?"   
  
"How thick are you?"  
  
"Oh, okay!" She skimmed through the pages, closed her eyes and pointed to one. "A polyjuice potion? No that's too hard. A potion that turns people into animals? Um..."  
  
"Stop! That one sounded good." I grinned, thinking frogs. "We could even try it out to make sure it works."  
  
Andi's eyes went big, but she got a mischievous smile on her face. "I wonder who you'd pick?"  
  
"I dunno. But I can think of at least five people who deserve it."  
  
Just then James and his group walked in. Just who I had been thinking of.  
  
"Can you believe the nerve of him? Trying out for the Quidditch team? I mean how stupid can you get?" James boomed, purposely talking loudly so everyone could hear of his excellent Quidditch knowledge.  
  
Sirius grinned. "Well, if he does make the team, you'll have a great time killing them."  
  
"You guys," Remus interrupted, glancing at a lunar chart on someone's table, "I've gotta go."  
  
James and Sirius both looked at him and nodded. "Sure old boy. And don't give your mum too much trouble." Sirius leaned over and whispered something that I would have killed to hear.   
  
Peter stood up on his toes, trying to hear. Unsuccessfully.  
  
"Remus, try not to bite yourself too hard. Last time you got—"  
  
Sirius stuck his hand over Peter's mouth.  
  
"Shut your cake hole. Do you have any idea what you just said?"  
  
Peter thought for a long moment then his eyes went big. "Oh I'm sorry Remus! It won't happen again."  
  
Remus just nodded and rolled his eyes. He looked tired, very tired. And it was only their second day at Hogwart's. I wonder what people had done to him, and if he looked that tired after one day what did I look like?  
  
"Anyway, Andi, do you know why they're all acting so peculiar, and why their talking about Remus going to go see his mum?"  
  
"No." Andi said while shaking her head, her long blonde hair flowing around it. "But my sister told me that Remus is sick enough to make up for everyone in the whole school. And when he's not sick he has to go visit his mum. She's on her deathbed basically."  
  
I took in a breath. "Oh, poor Remus." I couldn't really relate. Just then, Professor McGonagall walked in.   
  
"Andrea Miszewski, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in her office immediately." I was surprised it was Andi and not me, and I was surprised that she had said Miszewski 'mi-shes-kee', which was the correct way.  
  
Her eyes went big. "But I haven't done anything."  
  
McGonagall looked sad and tired. "I know dear, but she must see you."  
  
Andi walked over and followed her out the library.  
**********  
Half an hour later Andrea ran back through the portrait hole, tears running down her cheeks, and went straight up to the girl's dormitory. Lily looked around at all the confused faces and ran up after her.  
  
She walked up to Andrea's bed, where sobs could be heard behind the closed curtains.  
  
"Andi. You 'kay?" Lily asked, pulling a curtain back.  
  
Andrea lifted her head from her pillow.  
  
"No. The Professor just told me that my family is dead." She acted rather calm as she stood up and faced Lily.  
  
Lily gasped. "That's awful! What happened?" She asked as she pulled Andrea in, hugging her tightly.  
  
"Voldermort." Andrea sniffed, pushing away. "Killed everyone who was at home, which was everyone 'cept me and Lexi. It's Adam's birthday today and they were all celebrating I guess. I guess it's only Alexia and me now." She wiped silent tears away and went back to putting her face in her pillow. "Now if you don't mind just go away. I'd like to be left alone."  
  
Lily got off the bed silently, nodding, and walked out of the room backwards, not caring if she ran in to anything.   
  
She would never forget the sight she had just seen. Silent tears poured down her own face as she watched the profile of her friend on the bed, curled into a tight ball and sobbing. There was no noise, but it was like an old black and white silent feature: sound was just an added factor. The misery and true feeling was already there.  
**********  
I walked down the stairs slowly. I couldn't believe what had happened. It was way worse than getting homework on the first day of school. I don't even really know who or what Voldermort is. I'd heard a few things about him while in Diagon Alley, but that was about it. I reached the bottom of the staircase.  
  
I turned back and glanced back at the door. But during that time something bumped into me. Someone. A particular someone named James Potter. I couldn't muster up any energy to throw some insult at him. All my energy had gone through my tears. Straight down my cheeks, and had fallen on the ground somewhere. I collapsed.  
  
James caught me. Those retarded reflexes, why couldn't he have just let me drop? "Lily, what happened? You're not okay." I hadn't realized at the time that it was one of the few times we spoke sanely towards each other.  
  
"Andi...Andi's family is dead. Voldermort did it. It's just her and Lexi now."  
  
"Holy shit." He hugged me tight, tighter than I had hugged Andi.  
  
I cried into his shoulder.  
**********  
hopefully this chapters speaks for itself. i am still trying to write the first/zero-th chapter. if it isn't already up by now. 


	5. info

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 5.  
  
POV: Lily, James, Sirius  
  
It had been several weeks after Andrea had found out about her parents. Kids around Hogwarts were going crazy, freaked out about what might happen next. Half of the student body walked around as if end of the world was coming, which they all pretty stupidly believed. Voldemort had been out for quite some time, torturing families and killing muggles for some odd type of fun. [I had gotten Sirius to tell me all about Voldemort the day after Andi's—thing—happened.]   
  
Only a few people could keep normal expression on their faces, and of course James Potter was one of them. Everyday day he walked around like he was king of the planet—country at least. Of course, he thought he was. His father was an Auror, whatever that was, and was out fighting the bad guys [aka Voldemort] while his mother sat at home knitting. Nothing could go wrong in his perfect little world. Yeah, the world around him was in chaos, but nothing was affecting him, so why should it matter? Big-headed idiots like him don't necessarily care about the rest of us. It was so unnerving.  
  
On this Saturday, I was sitting on a step on the side staircase near the silver statue of Limberger CheeseChicken—the previous Minister of Magic. And lo and behold, I glanced up and saw the king of England walking towards me. Then, he turned back around and started back to where he came from. It was a pretty funny sight as he turned once more to face me and ended up walking towards me. My eyes flew back to the book I was holding.  
  
"Are you having fun, Potter? Or are you by any chance lost?" I asked, annoyed and not looking up from her book.  
  
"Oh you know me, Evans," he replied, acting earnest. "It's my second year here; I'm lost. Care to help me?"  
  
I sort of snorted in an oh-come-on kind of way and looked up at him. "Well do me a favor and go bye-bye. You're annoying me, and I'm trying to read."  
  
James just shrugged and started walked back toward the common room. "Whatever you say."  
  
I rolled my eyes and went back to reading 'The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles.' It was kind of funny, actually, because the main characters had the last name 'Potter.' And it was about magic and that sort of stuff. Cool if you ask me.   
  
I heard James muttering: "What a loser; reading on the stairs." What was his problem anyway? I know that he hadn't been nice to me once since I arrived at Hogwarts, except for that night when Andi found out. Of course, I hadn't been completely nice to him either, so we were kind of even. Bored with the book, since my mind was definitely on other things, I picked up my books and went towards the library.   
  
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Andi all day since we didn't have classes and Andi wakes up like an hour earlier than I do. My stomach grumbled, and I remembered that I'd been reading during breakfast. Ignoring my stomach, I walked into the library, looking around for Andi. Instead, I found Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, the last people in the school I thought I'd find here, especially since they were James' best friends.  
  
"Oh, hi Lily!" Remus whispered, being in the library and all. Sirius did the same, except shouted it and was quickly shushed by Madam Pince the librarian. He grinned sheepishly and waved for me to go by them.  
  
"We're looking up some stuff for our potions homework," Sirius said with an odd grin.   
  
Remus elbowed him in the stomach but didn't turn around as he kept shuffling through the books.  
  
I couldn't resist the grin. I knew something was up, so decided to fib a little. "What's it on? I thought that Sirius was one of the best people in your grade at Potions, so I don't see why you need to look anything up."  
  
"We dont have to write about the Animagus potion—" Sirius started, but Remus stepped on his foot.  
  
"Sirius, if you say anything to HER, you are aware that James'll kill you," Remus muttered, still looking through books.  
  
I turned back towards Sirius, putting on a little pouty face that always worked. "Sirius, you know you can trust me. Pot—James doesn't have to know."  
  
Sirius grinned. "How'm I supposed to resist that, Remus?" He laughed. "You're like the nosy sister I never had."  
  
I rolled my eyes. "I'm the nosy sister you just acquired. Spill."  
  
"Sorry," Remus said.  
  
"Sorry about what?" a voice whispered into my ear—tickling it—while the person put their arm around my neck.  
  
Sirius tried to start whistling, but all that came out was air. Remus hit his forehead and sighed. I did a simple escape maneuver and turned around, glaring at my attacker: James.  
  
"Nothing to you," I spat, pushing him away. "I was just chatting with some of my friends here, and they told me that they had homework on the...Animagus potion was it? And then I was asking them what that was because I didn't know. Then I poked Remus' eye reaching for a book about it and I apologized, and then he stepped on my foot, and he was just saying sorry." I hope he swallowed it. It must have sounded really odd because the more I said, the more James turned red. I had no clue why.  
  
"You were talking about WHAT?" he practically shouted.  
  
Madame Pince looked up abruptly and said just as loud: "Mr. Potter!"  
  
I turned to look James in the eye. "Yeah, we were talking about the Animagus potion. You got a problem with that?"  
  
James looked furious, but he spoke in a cold whisper, his jaw clenched and only is lips—and I suppose his tongue—moving. "Yes, as a matter of fact." He calmed down a little and added, "Sirius, Remus: I believe you know what I'm talking about."  
  
With that, he left the library, knocking over the pile of books Remus had collected on his way out. I was annoyed with his behavior. Sirius just fake whistled.  
  
"That went well, don't you think Remus?" he said.  
  
Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Just shut up for once, Sirius." They left the library then and there, leaving the books.  
**********  
Lily went throughout the rest of the day confused about what had happened. James ignored everyone but Peter, who didn't mind the attention. But after a while, it was obvious that he was boring James. Remus wouldn't talk to Sirius, and he kept trying to talk to James who would pretend Remus wasn't there. Sirius was his self, except for the fact that he was playing chess by himself and losing. Andrea was doing her homework, which Lily had finished the previous night. Lily decided she'd have to talk to someone or she'd go mad. She decided to be the mediator and explain everything to James. Not such a good idea...  
**********  
"Look, Potter."  
  
I turned around and saw Lily coming towards me. "Don't you talk to me because…'cause I won't reply."  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about Potter." Oh, sure. Like she didn't notice that I wasn't talking to anyone.  
  
"Sure you don't." I went right to the point. "From now on, just go right into the library and—"  
  
"Hang on; I thought I was allowed to do that."  
  
I ignored her, which was becoming easy. "—make my friends tell you all their secrets, then try to deny it."  
  
"Okay. That sounds like fun." She was speaking a little louder. Fine by me, I can shout too.  
  
"Does it really? Then why don't you just try it right now. They're in there." Ugh, too many homonyms.  
  
"Fine then. I'm leaving."  
  
"See ya."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"I'm waiting."  
  
"Alright then! By the way, your buddies didn't tell me anything Potter. Maybe if you trusted them more you'd believe me."  
  
"I trust my friends! It's YOU I don't trust. Maybe if you'd shut up and stay away from them I wouldn't be so worried that they'd tell you things!"  
  
"You tell her off James!" some girl shouted. Trust a girl to say that.  
  
"Maybe if you weren't such an idiot you'd see that if you trusted them more they'd trust you more!"  
  
Someone laughed in the crowd that was forming. A girl. "Tell it like it is, girl."  
  
"You don't know my friends! We've known each other our whole entire lives. I know them better than anyone in this entire world and I know exactly what they do and why they do it and I know they told you! It was so obvious! If they hadn't told you they'd have told me by now!"  
  
"They've been trying to tell you whatever it is all day! But no, James Potter had to not speak to them. Maybe if you let them talk to you you'd see they didn't do anything wrong at all!"  
  
The crowd was really getting into this. They cheered and booed with every comment made. I realized that if I didn't take Lily down, my rep would die. And I'd worked hard to make his reputation what it was during my two—first year here.  
  
"Then why did you step in there with your whole stupid story?"  
  
"Because it was mostly the truth!"  
  
"Well I would have gotten mad anyway! Stay away from my friends from now on!"  
  
"You can't tell me what to do. Sirius and Remus are my friends too. If you have a problem with that you'll just have to DWI."  
  
"Look, Evans. You're a first year. Get it into your head. If Sirius and Remus want to talk to you, they will. But do you see any other first years following them around? No. Get some self-respect. Get your own friends in your own class."  
  
Lily glared at him. "The same goes to you; trying to befriend me. And if you wanted to know, first years follow you around."  
  
No one had ever said that to me. I mean, it was a known fact, but still. "Oh, really. I didn't know that. What're you gonna say now, that you hate me?"  
  
"Nope. You just said it for me. See ya." She left the common room.  
  
"Yeah?" I called after her. "Didn't you realize that I hate you too?"  
  
"Whatever," she yelled back. Okay then. I tuned into my surroundings.  
  
"Can you believe she said that stuff to him?" people said. "Can you believe he said that stuff back?" people replied.  
  
I couldn't believe it.  
  
"Great. Just great." I fell on to one of the armchairs and people stared out of the portrait hole, as if Lily had broken and unspoken rule. I had just told her to stay in her own class, with all the other first years. That made sense. But I'd also said I hated her, making her and me almost as bad as Slytherins.  
  
Lily's friend Andi sat next to me. "Don't worry, this'll blow over in a few days."  
  
"Sure it will." I couldn't believe it. I was talking to a first year about my problems.  
**********  
It was the next Friday, and James and Lily still weren't speaking to each other. If they had to walk past each other, they made a huge deal out of making sure they were as far away as possible. Most of the girls looked at her as if she had lipstick on her teeth, but most of the guys, in all classes, looked at her with some newfound respect. Finally, there was a girl who didn't worship the ground he walked on. Of course, Quidditch season was starting soon, so they weren't all sure they could keep her, but they were at least sure she wouldn't be as bad as the others. Remus and Sirius talked to Lily though, and every time they did James glared at Lily as coldly as he could.  
**********  
Lily left the breakfast table, and I followed her.  
  
"Lil, I'd want to apologize for James. He's been a little 'out of it' so far this year, I guess you could say. We're all just really stressed and I guess he finally overflowed."   
  
She turned around and looked up at me disgustedly. "Sirius, I don't want you apologizing for him. It's really no big deal. If he's really sorry, he can apologize himself."  
  
I grinned. "Wouldn't that be a sight!" I started laughing, but stopped when she glared. "Yeah, well. He regrets a ton of the stuff he says. But I want you to know, you will always have me and Remus for friends."  
  
Lily smiled at me again. "Thanks bro."  
  
I raised one eyebrow. "Is that what I am now?"  
  
She laughed and replied. "Well, I think the last time we talked, you said that I was the nosy sister you never had. I've had way too much time to think, and I've decided that you're the annoying brother I never had. You can take the place of my sister."  
  
I faked looking offended. "So now I'm your sister?"  
  
"All brothers have to be rude sometimes." Lily grinned and then whispered. "But you're my favorite."  
  
"I'm your only brother." At least, that's what I thought.  
  
"Technically, no. James is the brother I never wanted," Lily said.  
  
"Oh. I see." Since when was he her brother?  
  
"I'm bored. Let's go back to the common room." With that, we raced to the common room to get our books for classes.  
**********  
A/N a/n A/N a/n ok, here is the 3rd [really 4th] chapter. i know, i know. i still have to write the first one. either that or its already up by the time you're reading this. [a/n addition] technically, this is the 5th chapter. :-)  
stuff i know: the.l.of.the.r.g.w was published around '74, a normal person wouldn't race someone through their school, i didn't change my name.  
review! 


	6. christmas

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 6.  
  
POV: Lily, James, Andrea, James  
  
The time until Christmas was pretty boring, unless you count all the stuff James and I did to each other. Yes, I have had countless detentions. The teachers are running out of things for us to do. And do you know what I had to do yesterday? [which was the 23rd of December] Dumbledore made James and me sit in a tree for three hours. Together, on the same branch! And the worst part was that we were stuck there, meaning we couldn't move our butts. Which, may I say, totally sucked, because it was starting to cramp up by the time 11 PM rolled around.  
  
Anyway, today is Christmas Eve. Technically, we are on vacation, but I wrote to Mum and told her about Andi. She said that it would be a good idea to stay at school over break. It would be a good way for me to show my friendship, and the fact remains that Andi has nowhere else to go. (By the way, I convinced her to let me meet her sis, 15 year old Lexi at the Christmas feast.)  
  
And I agreed with mum, except for the fact that James and the gang felt like staying after they found out that we were staying. But, last night Remus backed out saying that his mum was sick, and Sirius and Sarah left without warning with the others on the Hogwarts Express. So, as of now, the only other Gryffindors staying back are James and Zina. Hmmm, I wonder what they'll be doing tonight. Every night. Okay, okay. I won't think about it.  
  
Pretty much all I've been doing is sit in the common room with curse books, looking up good things to put James through. People are starting to think I'm a pretty gutsy first year. I guess I can live with that, right? It's a good rep. Too bad that's what James was called last year. I heard that from some Hufflepuff fifth years.  
  
Andi has found better things to do, such as catch up on all the homework she hasn't done. Maybe I should join her... nah. It seems like she's having fun in the library alone. But for all I know there might be some cute Ravenclaws there. Hey, no one said that just because they hate us we can't look at them!  
  
I dropped the book and shut it. Then, I left the common room and headed toward the library.  
  
And I was right. I found Andi not doing homework, but chatting with some Ravenclaws—third and fourth years, I think. As I walked towards her, I noticed Zina and James sitting close on one of those long armchairs (but not quite a couch) and talking heatedly—more excitedly than passionately, though. By that time, I had met up with Andi. She was quite surprised and stuttered a bit as she introduced me to the Ravenclaw cuties. They were Stefan, Enrique (he preferred Rick), and Jeff. Swedish, Hispanic, and Scottish, I guessed, though you couldn't really tell since they all had English accents.  
  
Stefan seemed quite taken with something off to my left, so I sneaked a peek and managed to catch James and Zina kissing. In the library of all places! I mean, I haven't had much experience (okay, none) but I don't think a public place is that great for that. So, I shifted my attention over to Jeff (the only third year), and found that we had a lot in common. We talked for a long time; so long that we didn't notice Andi, Stefan, and Rick disappear. By the time we looked up, James was standing over us with a very angry expression on his face.   
  
"Jeff," he said.  
  
"James." He looked over at me. "It's been nice meeting you, Lily. Maybe we can sit near each other tonight at dinner."  
  
"Okay. See you tonight!" I watch Jeff walk away and James accosted me. "Let go!" I said. "What did he do to you?"  
  
He let go. "You wouldn't understand. And I don't think it looks good to our house if you are seen talking to a Ravenclaw."  
  
"So? What about Andi?"  
  
"Andrea? She was outside throwing curses at the squid with someone Hispanic."  
  
"Enrique, or Rick—a fourth year Ravenclaw." So it seemed like Stefan had gone off by himself.  
**********  
"Is that true? That's good, then. He's in line for Prefect in two years and then Head Boy." I liked Rick; he had tutored me on Charms quite a bit last year.  
  
"And there was one more. Stefan, a fourth year. He was staring at you and Zina and I caught you kissing."  
  
"You what? No, you didn't. What did you say?" I know I was blushing. It had been pretty stupid to kiss Zina in the library.  
  
"You heard me. And if you don't want rumors going around about you two then I suggest you leave me be." She whipped around and left. I assumed she had gone to collect Andi—I mean Andrea and then go to the common room. I had seen the book she had left on a table, and I have the same book. It was complete with countercurses.  
  
I heard someone calling me. "What?" I turned around. Zina was waiting for me by the entrance to the library.   
  
"Are you planning on going to dinner?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then we'd better leave."   
  
We went to the Great Hall, and I almost forgot about Lily until I saw her talking to Jeff in the middle of the one table Dumbledore had set up since so few of us were staying at the castle over holiday break. I think I glared at her the whole meal, but Andi had noticed before Lily did and she shot me a pleading look for me to stop. And I spent the rest of dinner chatting with Dumbledore and Zina. Afterwards, all of the Gryffindors walked back together, but there was a bit of tension between us all as we rigidly said good night and went up to our dorms. Since I was the only guy who had stayed, I went back down after changing and fell asleep on one of the couches in the common room.  
**********  
"Presents!" Lily shouted and woke me up.  
  
"Lily Evans, do you know what time it is?" I said drowsily.  
  
"Yeah. 9:06."  
  
"What! I overslept?" I was fully awake now. Lily started laughing.  
  
"I meant 6:09! Okay? And it's vacation!"  
  
"I knew that. Ooh, presents!"  
  
"Are you deaf?" She looked at me dumbfoundedly.  
  
"No. I heard you earlier." I had. We sat on the floor near our beds then, opening and marveling at each gift we had recieved while talking about everything from homework to guys. I revealed that I thought James was cute. Lily punched me for that one.  
  
"What's this?" Lily held up an ivory colored envelope with her name on it in a flourish. She opened it, and immediately it turned red and started shouting 'MERRY CHRISTMAS LILY EVANS! MERRY CHRISTMAS LILY EVANS! MERRY CHRISTMAS LILY...' She threw it on the floor and ran to the door, shouting, "James Pott—"  
  
But she stopped. Because there he was, laughing out loud. He had heard everything.  
**********  
I sprinted down the stairs and back towards the couch I had slept on. I had heard the juiciest secrets while standing there with the Listening charm on. Hey, it was flattering to hear that Andrea—okay, Andi thought I was cute. But some of the stuff Lily said, like a fault with every guy in her classes, that was the best. She found the funniest faults, which were even funnier because they were all true and after thinking for about three seconds I understood why she had included it.  
  
But when she opened the color-changed Howler I had sent her as a gift (and had Zina write the name on it), I had to run for it. Unluckily, the girl can run. And she tackled me just has she got off the last step, yelling, "What is your problem?"  
  
Somehow, I got her off me and Bound her arms together. I noticed that she was wearing an oversized West Ham football jersey and extra-small boxers. But I forgot about that as soon as she started running after me again.  
  
We ran around the common room, while Andi and Zina laughed, until I tripped on some of the gifts that had piled up next to my couch. I had forgotten about them. Then, Zina un-did the ArmBind Lily was in and they all sat on the ground and opened my gifts for me as I watched. Luckily, I didn't get anything embarrassing. Lily looked a bit downcast; she had probably cursed my bed or something up in my dorm room. Ha! Well, at least my gift worked. I have to admit, it was funny until she came after me.  
  
"Okay, let's go to dinner," Andi said. "I mean breakfast."  
  
"Sure, whatever," I replied.  
  
"Wait!" Zina said. She held up a flat gift that was about 30 cm by 20 cm, and was about 3 cm thick.[1ftx8inx1in] She opened it as I wondered what it was. She handed it to me.  
  
It was a sketchbook. One of the really expensive kinds that was leather covered and had side spirals along with a zipper to close it. I looked around and saw Lily staring intently at me. I raised my eyebrows questioningly, and she nodded, a small nod that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't staring back at her. I realized that her eyes were emerald green, like when you see photos of islands or something. Real pretty. Okay, ignore that.  
  
Lily had sent me the sketchbook. How did she know I loved to draw, but hadn't since two summers ago? I was still staring at her when Andi dragged me up and towards the portrait hole. I brought the book with me.  
  
"Okay, okay!" I said, gently shaking free and stepping back a bit so I was even with Lily. "Shouldn't you change?" I muttered, unable to think of anything else.  
  
She gasped and ran back, just before calling: "Shouldn't you?"  
  
I was still in boxers and an undershirt.  
**********  
wow, this is my fastest moving story ever. i've covered two summers, a whole school year, and another year up until christmas. this is like a record for me!  
i changed the POV thing. now there'll just be the people who will b in 1st person in the order that it happens. its a little less cluttering than the I, me= thing.  
well, there must be at least 20 reviews, otherwise i wouldn't be posting this. either that or i'm really really bored and just felt like it. can you believe that the day i wrote this, i actually had written the first, second, and 6th [this] chapters? yup, fri the 25th. no school 4 me but school 4 my sis. ha!  
well, review! please! 


	7. 2nd thoughts

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 7.  
  
POV: Lily, James  
  
Christmas was nice. I still don't know what made me give James the sketchbook I had found at the bottom of my trunk, it was three months ago and I don't draw. But I think he liked it, and for a while he trusted me for some reason.  
  
That ended when I made his alarm clock spray him with blue ooze.  
  
Easter is coming up in a couple days. I heard that it is really big here at Hogwarts, and most people go off on Easter vacation for a week. Oh yeah, I forgot that Dumbledore made this new rule that goes in effect in three years--actually, I see no point in making a rule that doesn't matter until three years from now. Anyway, she says that from now on, Christmas holidays will start on the evening of Christmas. In other words, 6 PM Christmas Day. I guess Easter vacation has to start two days before Easter because some people are seriously religious. What I don't get is that Remus is staying at the castle instead of making use of the vacation to visit his mum. Weird.  
  
Zina and James are still going out. I feel sorry for Zina, having to have that idiot for a boyfriend. I mean, any sane person could and would do better than that. She must actually like him. Eeew!  
  
James and I have gotten in soooo much trouble for pulling pranks on each other. Once, and only once, we collaborated and tricked the Slytherins into believing that we were step-brother and sister. Funny, if you ask me. The Slytherins are so gullible, and they still think we're related--whether it's cousins or aunt/uncle by now I have no clue.  
  
Andi came up to my room today a few hours ago. She told me that Sirius was looking for me for some odd reason. I didn't feel like looking for him, so I just took a nap. Which is where I am now.  
  
Someone shook me up and I faked still feeling sleepy. I squinted at the person and saw Andi. Immediately, I 'woke up.'  
  
"Jeez, Lil. I thought you'd never wake up!" she said.  
  
"Well, I just did."  
  
"I knew that."  
  
"Sure, Andi. And your big news is..." She is such a blonde sometimes.  
  
"James and Zina just broke up!"  
  
"Big whoop. Dee-doo." [a/n that's how i say it in real life, a little pause.]  
  
Actually, I was surprised. I thought they were serious, unlike some people I have known--particularly Petunia who disgustingly has a boyfriend each week. Apparently. Pretty stupid for someone four years older than me.  
  
"Oh. Well, if you don't care, I was planning on asking him to sit by me at dinner--"  
  
I stopped her. "No you are not. James and I have an arrangement: I sit on one end, he sits on the other."  
  
"Well, good for the arrangement. I am going to sit by him. You can sit where you usually do, and I'm sure the other Gryffindor first years will be interested in actually meeting you." She left in a huff and I followed her.  
  
We ended up sitting in the common room; Andi watching James play chess with Remus, me just sitting there staring into the fire. That left me a lot of time to think.  
  
Sure, it was true that the other first years barely know me. They know my name, but that's probably about it. I spend so much time with Andi or Alexia or Sarah or Sirius or Remus that I don't even know the names of the others in my year. Maybe today would be a good time to meet them. I'll have to say hi at dinner.  
  
I remembered the conversation Lexi and I had the other day. Lexi has grown to be the sister I always wanted and never had. We talk about everything, except the only time I see her is meals and the common room so we talk in her dorm room when we have free time. I don't think she's told Andi about our talks, but it's okay with me. I just hope Andi's okay with it when she finds out...  
  
"You coming to dinner or what?" I looked up at a pretty brunette that's about 5'3" with hair to the middle of her back and bangs.  
  
"Yeah, Lexi." I stood up and we went out the portrait hole.  
  
"What were you doing, sleeping?"  
  
"Nah, just thinking.  
**********  
Over Easter break I went home because dad ended up having vacation at the same time. A few days after I came back, I got sort of an all-day detention for freezing all of Lily's clothes. Damn, was she mad then! But she was so happy this one day in May, because her mother had written to say that she had just delivered her babies--twin boy and girl, it happens to be. Lily's happy she's an older sister, even if by the time they start Hogwarts she'll be able to drink liquor. I told her that the other day and she Silenced me.  
  
But now it's almost the end of the year. June 1st is coming up really quick. I sort of can and can wait. No more pranks to pull, but I don't have to worry about any more pranks on me.  
  
And you want to know the funniest thing of all? You know how Zina dumped me before Easter? Well, she called me over break 'cause she wanted to get back together. I told her 'sorry. you said bye.' And then I laughed and hung up on her. It was kind of mean, I know, but it was her fault she dumped me.  
  
Andi is convinced I'm going to ask her out pretty soon. I should get her hopes up and then ask her out on the last day of school. Then I won't see her again until the first day of school, which I will have a real girlfriend by, and then she'll like go into a depression.   
  
On second thought, that's not the greatest idea. I just remembered the day Lily told me about Andi's parents. So maybe I'll just not do anything.  
  
I could hear Sirius is saying something in the common room, but couldn't hear it. So I went there.  
  
A couple seconds later I arrived in the common room to see Sirius trying to trick Lily into hexing herself. How dumb can he get? I heard that she's one of the brainy first years, though you could never tell just from looking. Not that I have had experience or anything. And she did somehow know to give me that sketchbook... (which I have been using)  
  
I rolled my eyes and took Sirius back up to our dorm room. And told him all the stuff I'd heard about Lily. He was now enlightened, and pretty surprised may I add.  
**********  
The last day of school approached quickly. James, Sirius, Sarah, Remus, Lily, and Andrea took up one of the larger compartments towards the end of the train.   
  
Throughout the journey to Platform 9 and 3/4, James sketched scenes in the sketchbook he had recieved from Lily; rolling pastures, endless forests, Andrea reading, Lily staring out the window. He seemed to concentrate a bit more on the drawing of Lily for some reason, though no one noticed unless they looked at it for more than a fleeting second. He also drew Sarah, who was sitting next to him and practically sleeping on his lap. It took a lot of twisting and turning to try to get most of her profile, but he was prouder of these final products and sort of fond of them.  
  
Sirius and Remus messed with some Exploding Snap cards, charming them to build card-houses by themselves. Their eyebrows were quite singed by the time the trip was over.  
  
No one thought much about Zina, who had been shunned by James and was sitting with some Ravenclaws.   
  
Andrea read for most of the trip, but she was really thinking about where she was supposed to go. She would have liked to go to Lily's house, but she knew that Lily's father and sister were a Muggle and probably wouldn't feel comfortable with another witch in the house. She realized that she should have asked Dumbledore before she had left the school.  
  
An announcement came on saying that they had reached King's Cross. The train slowed to a stop and the noise from the engine disappeared. The six took their trunks and hauled them out. Each of them ran to their parent except for Andrea. She sort of stood around for a few seconds, when the woman James had gone to came up to her.  
  
"Are you Andrea Mizewski?"  
  
"Misheski," she said on impulse. "Yeah."  
  
"Right. Well, you're coming home with me."  
  
Both Andrea and James looked outraged.  
**********  
A/N end of this chapter. i'm losing ideas to talk about here in the author's note area, where fellow readers and authors are bored out of their mind trying to figure out what i am trying to say. i think andi doesnt like james anymore. you guys got any ideas? what is this, the shortest a/n yet? well, review and email q's to me. i'm thinking, should i change my email to SPisQkee? u know, sp is kooky. no, no, this: CyaL8R35. it's got my 2 fave #s in it. ok, ok. i wont drive you away.   
[a|n addition] hi again, sarah! remember her? i brought her back—she's riding the train. if you've read the 9th chap already u know what happens, and this *could* be an intro to that... 


	8. summer

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 8.  
  
POV: Andrea, James, Lily  
  
James's house is nice. It's right in the middle of a Wizard community, so every other house has pure-wizard blood flowing through. Ooo, bad vision...gutters...  
  
Anyway, James's mother had fixed up their guest room with really bright, and pretty, yellow shades and bedspreads. Luckily, the guest room and James's room were on opposite sides of the second floor. The only thing was that we had to share the upstairs bathroom. Nothing embarrassing happened. The weirdest thing was that Mrs. Potter knew that my favorite color was yellow and had arranged for everything mine to be yellow. There was even a huge painting of a sunflower on the wall of my room—my favorite flower. Freaky.  
  
The Potters' backyard was probably as big as Platform 9 and 3/4. It was huge! A professional Wizard gardener came once a week and put various charms on the lawn. I have to admit, it was pretty green and springy if you jumped on it. And Mrs. Potter even had a beautiful garden in a corner of the yard with daffodills, violets, petunias, and the prettiest roses. I'm pretty positive an awful lot of magic is definitely involved.  
  
People were always coming over and doing everything from playing Quidditch to futball to just hanging out in the Potter backyard—some sixth years even practiced and put on a play there over the course of the summer. It was a cool play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare. Personally, I thought the plot was way better than Romeo and Juliet; I'm not into the whole obsessive romance scene. And they actually had rain and lighting and fire and a flying Ariel. It was so cool.  
  
The absolute best part of the whole summer was when James's cousins, Daniel and Julia came over. They are soooo nice and kind and courteous and basically everything James isn't. Well, what Lily's taught me to believe James isn't. If I didn't spend so much time around that girl I'd be one of his worshippers—and I'm sure some of the boys who come to the backyard believe that. (I've thrown most of them off with a classic 'James-you-idiot!', made famous by Lily the Great.) But, since I've spent so much time around Lily, I know what kind of guy James really is—a basic loser who wants face from the girls. Yeah, that's pretty much sums it up. But, between you and me, I think I would think it great opportunity to be in James Potter's house for the whole summer if I did not know Lily at all. Of course, I didn't tell her that in any of the 87 phone calls she made to James's house, which she made only because she knew I was there. Too bad James never picked up.  
  
Back to Dan and Jul. They stayed at the Potters' house for the whole month of July. It seems they visit every summer for a month. Both Dan and Jul go to Beaubaxtons, since they live in the heart of France—Pah-ree. (Hee hee, non-French people talk for Paris.) Dan just turned 15, and Jul is 13 like James. They call James 'Jam' because they're reffered to by the first three letters of their names too. They also love to annoy their cousin, just like someone I happen to know a little too well.  
  
Most of my summer with Dan and Jul was spent tormenting James and learning how to play Quidditch. Jul thinks I'm the best girl to set foot on a broomstick, not counting herself. She is pretty funny, I guess. She even accused Dan and James of hitting on me, which made Dan grin and James turn ballistically red. Jul and Dan even took me to the local mall—which I hadn't been to but started going to with some girl neighbors after they left. Jul and I went clothes and guy shopping, but Dan got stuck in the CD store tailing a brunette. Although, I am unbelievably glad Lily didn't show up at James's house during July; just thinking of Dan, Jul, and Lily in the same room makes me shiver.  
  
My summer without the sanity of Dan and Jul holding me together went by pretty slowly. Mrs. Potter was an avid reader and got me hooked on some new horror books—I never was much of a reader, and I don't actually read the things we have to read for classes; I just skim it in about a minute. Still, my new favorite book is this one called Final Destination, about this boy who sees future deaths. Scary, isn't it? And the author describes it all so good. Really.  
  
The weirdest thing was that I never, ever saw Mr. Potter live or in person. He was never home. The only reason I know what he looks like is there are a lot of family pictures around. I wonder how James survives without seeing his dad. Of course, he actually has two parents to look forward to seeing at all.  
  
But, the scariest thing and the thing that kept me wondering the most was: why the Potters?  
**********  
The summer was better than I thought it would be. Living with Andi was not that hard. Mum had put Andi on the other end of the floor, but we still had to share the bathroom. She woke up way earlier than me, so it didn't mess up my schedule. By the time I did wake up, Mum had taken her to the bookstore or something and they didn't come back until I was eating breakfast.  
  
Most of the time, Andi was reading so I didn't really worry about her when I went out and played Quidditch or something with the other guys who live in the neighborhood. Usually, she came outside and laid on the grass wearing sunglasses, reading a book and drinking a glass of lemonade. Though, I have to admit, she did look kind of cute in tank tops and shorts. Hey, I'm a guy. What do you expect?  
  
My cousins Dan and Jul came in July like they always do. They taught Andi how to play Quidditch and went to the mall with her. I think they were actually better hosts than I was, but I see Andi every day at Hogwarts so I didn't really care about what she did. Except after they left they guys who came to play Quidditch and futball [soccer] started asking about her. I think Jul did something to her—even I was attracted to her. Once, I got confused when going to the local mall with this guy named Chris to buy a new futball [A/N u know, soccerball] and asked him who the 'hot blonde chick in front of us' was.   
  
Chris, of course, just eyed me like I was some sort of crazy person."Your guest, you idiot—that Andi girl who's staying in your very house. You do know her, don't deny it. Didn't you say you went to school with her, too?" he had asked.   
  
"No," I replied, "I said that she went to school with *us*. Hogwarts. And she's also best friends with that Lily kid." Chris is just too stupid sometimes, even now.  
  
"From what I hear about Lily at school and from you, I think I'd like her."  
  
I'd stared at him. "Christopher, my man, get a brain. And a life to go with it. You can NOT LIKE LILY EVANS! At all. It's against the guy code of honor." And then Andi had turned around and gotten invited to play Quidditch with us magically. Which, incidentally, started the whole 'Damn, James, that girl in your house is hot!' thing that I had to explain to everyone that her best friend was my archenemy.  
  
I'm still convinced Jul had done something. And that was probably what made me call Jul and ask if she had done anything to Andi. "No, James," she said, "I didn't do anything. I think she just needed someone to hang out with."  
  
"Nah," I'd told her, "I think she just needed someone who doesn't know Lily Evans." And then I had hung up on her. I concluded that my hormones were raging since I am a teenager after all. Okay, unlikely. I think I was just attracted to Andi—no, seriously.  
  
So, that was my whole summer in brief. Life went 'wake up, eat, go outside, eat, go back outside, take a shower, eat, sleep'. Yeah, that's pretty much it. Except for the fact that Dad didn't show up AT ALL the whole summer. I am still mad at him, and now it's August 31st.  
**********  
James and Andi came to King's Cross together with James's mother. Andi looked sort of different to me, but maybe it was because I hadn't seen her for three months. Either that or the fact that she had stayed at James Potter's house for the past three months. The latter must have killed her and she was reborn when September 1st appeared. I know, not realistic.  
  
Actually, if you ask me, Andi looked a lot happier than usual, if that's possible. She had this like weird happiness with her and everyone around her noticed it too. I think James was just as confused as me when all these older guys approached them as soon as they walked on the platform. Most of them said hey to James and then started up conversation with Andi.  
  
Believe me, I was surprised and a bit shocked. You'd think after staying *there* for a month she's be out of it, but this was a little over the top. Okay, I'll stop thinking that the Potter house damaged her head. But still, I was usually the popular headstrong one and Andi was always right behind me. Sort of a switch happened, I guess. Then again, I was in the train saving a compartment so I couldn't really do much or say much. Unfortunately a slightly grinning James happened to stroll by my compartment before Andi did, so he put all his stuff in it. I did wonder why he was grinning while I tried to yell at him, but he was already gone. Doing a simple spell, James's things found themselves sitting on top of the train. They must have had fun.  
  
Andi finally showed up at my door. I could see the gladness register, but ignored it. "Lily! I missed you soooo much! How are you? How are the twins! How is—"  
  
"Listen, sister," I said, "what is wrong with you? What did you do over at James's house to make him so happy? And why are YOU so happy? There's like an—oh, I don't know, an aura around you that goes 'I am so happy!'. Enlighten me here, Andi."  
  
"Whoa. Um, I still have to register that spurt of energy." Normal Andi; telling me to relax without really saying it.  
  
"Give it up. I know something happened." I wonder what it was... new friends, a new hobby, a new religion, a new—boyfriend? It was possible.  
  
"Like what? Do you think James's house did something to me?"  
  
"No, not really." Lie. "Why are you wearing so much yellow?" She was wearing a yellow tank top and jean shorts with a yellow jelly belt. Plus the yellow tinted sunglasses. Weird if you ask me.  
  
"It's my favorite color. Nothing happened, Lily. James was James: annoying. Trust me."  
  
"I trust you, Andi. You're my best friend!" We grinned at each other, and I sort of relaxed. Andi finally sat down and put her trunk next to mine. I don't have to know everything about her life, I figured. "Sorry I snapped. It's just—well—ithoughtsomethinghappenedlikewithyouandaguyknowwhatimean."  
  
Andi looked way confused, but smiled, showing super white teeth I had never really noticed before. "Um, smile and nod, smile and nod. I'm lost, Lily dear."  
  
"Nah, it's nothing."  
  
"Come on, you can trust me. Hey, we're best buddies, right?"  
  
"Right. Okay, I said I thought something happened between you and someone, maybe a boy." I know I was sort of turning red. Try strawberry-outsides red.  
  
"Nothing happened, Lily. If anything did, you would be the first one to know. After me, of course." I could tell she was hiding a grin and biting her tongue.  
  
"I believe you, Andi. So, tell me everything that happened. Every single juicy thing." I grinned, imagining my kind of juicy info.  
  
"Fine. I'll tell you the funniest thing first. I was at the mall with some of these girls who live by the Potters, and James is behind us asking his friend who the hot blonde chick was. They were all brunettes and redheads. I was the blonde one!"  
  
I laughed out loud. "James thought you—man, that's classic!"  
  
"What is?" an unmistakable voice said. We turned and looked at James, which made us laugh harder. "What? What's so funny?"  
  
"Remember—remember the hot—blonde chick?" I said between laughs. We looked up enough to see him turn dark red.  
  
"You—Andi! Jeez, girls are just too much. Hey, I thought I put my stuff in here!"  
  
"Your owl wanted some fresh air. So I put it on the roof, along with your trunk." I shrugged.   
  
"YOU WHAT?! MY STUFF IS ON THE ROOF?"  
  
I'm sure the whole train heard him.  
**********  
The train trip went successfully—after James retrieved his trunk and owl cage from the roof. Lily, Andrea, James, and Sirius were in the same compartment. The girls chatted the whole trip away, having been away from each other for three full months. The boys, since they had seen each other in James's backyard, played Exploding Snap and Wizard Chess for most of the train ride. They tried to ignore the girls, but eventually left the compartment to find some quieter people—or people who talked about something normal, like West Ham futball or the latest Quidditch standings. Whichever came first suited them. They ended up going into Chris's compartment and playing mini-Quidditch, where they were on two teams on opposite sides of the Quidditch board and each of them used their wand to control a player. [sort of like foosball] They reached Hogwarts without any bruises, broken bones, or major arguments.  
**********  
A/N yeah, yeah. the 8th chapter. i'm so happy. actually, i like the summer. the one i created and the one that's goin on. :-) as long as school doesn't show up until august 30th. wow, it will! i mean wont. u know what i mean. review! 


	9. quidditch

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 9.  
  
POV: James, Sarah, Lily  
  
Quidditch Tryouts—the highlight of every single guy (and girl jock) in Hogwarts' thoughts except Peter and Remus. [a|n finally! some actual quidditch!] Although, I'm sure it was hammered into their brains for the last two years at this time since Sirius and I were talking about it and practicing so much. And everyone else who's ever around us is bound to have learned what a Buldger is.  
  
Sirius and I both had tried out last year, but had ended up joining the team as reserves. And no one ever got hurt on the Gryffindor team. The worst part? I think last year was the Year of the Non-Quidditchers. There was record LOW attendence at the regular season games. Hopefully, this year there'll be a lot more people showing up. Hopefully.  
  
Why am I going on about Quidditch tryouts? Because they're going on right now—Sirius and I have to try out again because we were just reserves last year. And there are so many people watching just the tryouts that they broke the record for the HIGHEST turnout last year. The highest!  
  
There are some weird people trying out—like Lily's best friend Andi, the one who used to like me. (I'm pretty sure it's 'used to'. She has spent an awful lot of time with Lily.) She is really good at flying; I found that out last summer in my own backyard, so I guess I should have anticipated her trying out. I guess Dan and Jul taught her a lot—and I think I heard Jul saying something to her friend on the phone about her brother, "the best Quidditch player in the whole damn school is teaching this girl how to play it", which I have to believe she wasn't saying sarcastically. And Jul is pretty good herself; I think she's on a team, too.  
  
Almost everyone from Ravenclaw is trying out, for some reason. Only a few are even half-decent—and most of those few are the three who were with Lily and Andi at the library last Christmas: Stefan, Rick, and that wretched Jeff. Why wretched? Because he made a fool out of me last year on the Quidditch field, in front of the forty or so people who were actually there. He cursed my broom on the one chance I had to actually play, and the other Chaser-reserve was put in—Sarah Andreski. She's pretty good at flying; I think an older brother of her's taught her how to play. She's trying out again this year, and I hope both of us make it. Well, you know why: otherwise there wouldn't be any decent Chasers on the team.  
  
"Sarah Andreski, Robbie Krypes, James Potter!" The captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team—Greg Bonvoije (pronounced baun-voy, like envoy; it's obviously not an English name) yelled for the first three people who had signed up to try out for Chaser. I told my broom to 'Get UP!' and went over to him. Sarah flashed me a grin and turned to Greg, who was explaining what we had to do. It seemed simple enough, but as I landed after doing the pattern in the air I thought of Sarah's grin.  
**********  
The tryouts seemed really simple compared to last year, but that's probably because we've had so much practice with the regular team. Only three spots were open on the team: two Chasers and Keeper. The other Chaser, Seeker, and the Beaters hadn't graduated yet—and Greg Bonvoije, the captain, is one of the Beaters. Others say he's kind of cute, but that's besides the point.  
  
James and I seemed to have the two Chaser positions in hand. I don't think the other people had much a chance. Besides, Billy had taught me some moves over the summer—and he plays for England, alongside Sirius Black's father, who's kinda older than Billy and rumored to retire this year. I think even James was impressed with some of the stuff I did, and I guess that's okay. If we're going to be teammates, we'll probably learn from each other anyway.  
  
Right now, I'm in the common room waiting for Greg to come announce the new team members. James and his friends were sitting on the couch behind me, talking either about Quidditch or how to 'get' his archenemy—second year Lily Evans. My friend Jessica Bartten and I were sitting on the floor, with cushions, talking to Josh Patrick, the other Chaser, and Hardy Brown, the Gryffindor Seeker. Jessica seemed taken to Josh, but personally, I thought Hardy looked better. Even if his first name was the last name of the Hardy Boys from the mystery books. Those are so cool!  
  
"Attention! I have the new team members. But I don't really like them, so I'm just gonna throw the list in the fire." Greg threw the sheet parchment into the fire. My breath caught in my throat when he suddenly grinned. "I'm just kidding! This is the real list. Let's see, the Chasers are NOT James Potter and Sarah Andreski, and the Keeper just might be Sirius Black. I think Andi Miszweski and Charlie Triponn are the new reserves." Understanding Greg's humor, I jumped up and pulled Jessica with me.  
  
"I made it! I made it! I made it!" We danced around in a circle, and everyone around me got hugs, including Josh and Hardy who congratulated me on being the first girl on the team for two years. But then, James stood up and I, in the middle of a hugging frenzy, turned to hug him too. Pulling away, I accidentally kissed his cheek. Turning carnation-pink (I don't blush easily), I pulled all the way away quickly.  
  
"So, Sarah," he said, pretending not to have noticed the kiss, "we're teammates. You want to join me and the rest of the team in a butterbeer the next time we go to Hogsmeade? You and Patrick too, Hardy." Was he asking this because I kissed him, or was he asking this because this was his intent in the first place?  
  
"Sure, I guess. Uh, Jess, you wanted to show me those photographs?" I improvised, and I think the others bought it.  
  
"Pho?—Sure! Come on." I dragged her up to our dorm room. The first thing she said as soon as I closed the door was, "Sarah, you are soooo lucky!" Okay, I guess. Right now I have to agree. Today was one of the better days of my life so far.  
**********  
The Quidditch tryouts two weeks ago weren't as boring as I thought they would be. Andi actually made the team—as a reserve, but the team none the less. It was fun, watching people fly around trying to mimic patterns they were supposed to do and watching their brooms backfire on them. Funny!   
  
Luckily, Andi did everything perfectly; she was trying out for reserve after all. Unluckily, James did everything perfectly, too. The good thing that came out of it all was that Sarah Andreski became Chaser and the first girl on the team in two years. Even if she did kiss James during her hugging-freak episode. Ugh, I would have killed myself if I was her. Thank everything I'm not.  
  
I'm not really into the Quidditch scene, so I decided not to try out. I'll still go to games—Andi would kill ME if I didn't. But during their practices and stuff, that's the perfect time for me to curse James's things or send owls to Mum. Hmmm, time to search for a broom-cursing book. Maybe Andi has one.  
  
"Hey Andi, can I see your Herbology notes? I forgot what color those peas are: blue or purple..." I looked up from my Herbology essay (Redsnap Peas: the Good or the Bad?) and saw that the room was empty except for me. "Fine, let's see if you're in the common room." The common room was empty, but there were a lot of first and second years and a few fifth years.  
  
"Hogsmeade!" I cursed under my breath. Dumbledore had given Andi permission to go with Greg and buy a broom for Quidditch, seeing as she doesn't have one and she doesn't want to use a school broom—those have a rep to be stubborn. Well, I've overheard enough of James's conversations to know that there's a secret passageway somewhere on the third floor (hey, I need to know when he's not in!). Checking my pocket to make sure I had my wand, I set out to find it.  
  
"Let's see," I thought aloud, "I know it's an ugly statue, and I know the password's Dissendum—but where is it?" I didn't waste my time and try every statue, just looked for a description that seemed familiar. "Ah! Ms. Ugly Hag, is it you?" I remembered hearing about the one-eye and the hump. I tested it...lo and behold, the hump flipped open as if it were on hinges.   
  
Suddenly, I heard footsteps and voices. "I think there's a classroom down this hallway that's empty." "Whatever. Just find one."  
  
The second voice sounded familar—Alexia? No. Well, maybe. Quick! I told myself, tossing my wand in the hole and stepping in myself, pulling the hump shut.  
  
"Here we go. Alohamora!" "C'mon, Hardy." I heard smooching and the door closed. Guess some people really will do anything.   
  
I turned around and picked up my wand. "Lumos." Now I could see. I took a step forward and felt the floor drop underneath me.  
**********  
[a|n] what should happen? want more bout lexi,hardy,sarah,james,lily,or andi? tell me when u review. CyaL8R—shana 


	10. trip

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 10.  
  
POV: Lily, Hardy, Andrea, James   
  
A long slide later, my head thumped something. "Umph! Ow!" Well what else do you say when your head is hurting? Anyway, I pushed up on the ceiling, and it opened up to some sort of cellar or basement. All around me was boxes marked in a man's handwriting (it was too messy to be a lady's) saying "Roach Clusts" or "Boiled Ant Lollies". I turned off my wand (Nox!) and thought a bit—deducing that I was in the basement of a candy store!   
  
Quickly, I scrambled up towards voices; I figured that was where the people were. I climbed up the ladder I came upon and was immediately enveloped in kids shouting to each other and choosing sweets. This was my kind of store. I dug in my pockets and only came up with a few Galleons. Oh well, I thought, I can wait until next year. I guess.  
  
I remembered someone saying something about a joke store at Hogsmeade—I think it was called Zonker's, Zonko's or something. That's where I'll probably find the others.  
  
Wait! Wait just a moment—didn't James say something about taking the team to Butterbear a few weeks ago? And this is the next Hogsmeade trip, so two and two equals 'go to Butterbear'! Now, I have no clue where the heck Butterbear even is. So, I asked the first person I saw (once I left Honeydukes, which I saw on a sign outside) where Butterbear is.  
  
"You mean butterbeer, right? The drink?"  
  
"I don't know! This is my first time here." Truth.  
  
"You can get it at the pub down there." He pointed and started walking again, but suddenly turned around. "You're a second year!" A lot of thinking that took, apparently.  
  
I turned around—I was heading the wrong way, probably to get away from the 'aha!' kid. "Tell the whole world."  
  
"It's Jeff."  
  
"Jeff, the Ravenclaw? How did you remember me?" The last time I remembered seeing him was last Christmas.  
  
"The question is: how did you get here?"   
  
"That's for me to know and you to never find out." I walked towards him—hey, it was the way towards the pub, and there's nothing wrong with talking to him!  
  
"I'm sure. Join me in a butterbeer? You can tell me all about how you got here."  
  
A cute \older\ guy was offering me a drink and a chat? How could I refuse? "Sure. I'd probably get lost trying to get there on my own. How much do those drink thingys cost anyway? I'm sort of broke—I left all my money at school."  
  
"I'll pay, don't worry. Think of it as having coffee with a friend."  
  
"Except we're not having coffee."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Butterbeer doesn't taste like coffee, does it?"  
  
He laughed. "No!" We chatted on the way to the pub. We walked in and sat on stools at the bar. This girl asked us what we wanted. "A bottle of butterbeer for me—and a mug for the lady." I blushed. Barely a minute later, an unusually loud frothing mug of butterbeer was sitting in front of me on the bar. I eyed Jeff's bottle; it was like one of the old fashioned glass bottles Coca-Cola used to come in. "I wanted you to get the whole nine yards; you can only hear the fizz if it's in a mug. You get used to it after a while, so that's why I got a bottle." I grinned and shoved the mug up under his right ear, smirking at the grimace that flashed over his perfectly chiseled features (he is definitely a hottie!). I pulled it away and took a sip. It tasted great; like coke but with a burst of sugary sweetness and almost like the pineapple upside-down cake mum made for my birthday once.  
  
The girl refilled someone else's mug then came back over to us and smiled. I said to her, "Thanks." Then, I added in an undertone, swirling my mug a little and making it fizz to make sure Jeff couldn't hear, "Aren't you a little young to be working at a pub? I mean, if I were you I'd totally be dying every time a cute guy walked in!"  
  
The girl laughed; it rang over the weakening fizz of my drink. "I know what you mean. I'm Rosmerta. I go to Hogwarts, and I assume you do too. I'm a fifth year. My aunt owns the place, so I waitress here on Hogsmeade weekends."  
  
"Anyway, can I sub for you?" We both giggled. Jeff gave us a funny look, which made us giggle harder and me think 'it's a girl thing.'  
  
"I think I've heard of you. Well, your hair at least, except it looks a little straighter that I heard." (Andi had found a charm in the back of our Charms book a while ago that straightened hair.)  
  
I spoke normally now. "Heard? Let me guess, a guy with ugly black hair that's in a total mess 24-7?"  
  
Rosmerta looked a little surprised at my description—and probably the face I made while describing him. "Yeah, called James by his friends. With a whole bunch of people—their Quidditch team I figured."  
  
"Are they still here?" I didn't want to turn around because it would have looked weird.  
  
"Yeah. In back."  
  
"Is there a blond girl with them?" A sudden thought— "Or a brunette?"  
  
"Both."  
  
I took a big gulp of my butterbeer; I could practically feel Jeff watching me, wondering why the hell I was talking to the barkeep and not him. My mind went back to James. Great. Well, that's sort of why I came. Checking to see if my wand was in my pocket, I said, "I'm going to the bathroom. Where is it?" Rosmerta pointed and I left.  
  
I went into the bathroom. No one else was there, so I sat on the baby changing thing. (why was there one in a pub?) Finally, I got it; the curse I would use on him. Practicing the spell on a fly, I left. I saw the Quidditch team laughing in a big booth in back—with James's arm around Sarah's shoulder. I feel sorry for the girl. Carefully pointing my wand at James, I walked just past their table. "Silencëolya," I whispered. It worked; James couldn't talk. The bad part was that Andi looked up and gaped at me as I walked past. Grinning.  
**********  
The classroom was Lexi's idea. I actually am sort of surprised I didn't suggest it first, even if I'm the guy and all. Lexi is totally different from the other girls I've dated. Like, she's a tomboy and all, but still has that girlish part that's into shopping and makes her really hot with a double 't'. I can live with that—after all, I've got the girl, and she's got her own cash. Which makes a plus for me: she usually pays for her own stuff.  
  
Lexi and I just started going out almost a whole month ago. But, being the sixteen-year-olds that we are, we are into going really fast and not even thinking about slowing down. That's the truth with our cars and relationships—both of us own kinda old sportscars that we race in during vacation.  
  
I'm really sorry I never got to meet her parents. They died before Lexi and I got together. They had been killed by The Unknown. (That's what I like to call The Dark Lord—because no one really does know him.) When they had died, there was this lull that was over the whole school. Everyone was afraid for their parents. No one wanted to become an orphan like Lexi and her younger sister Andrea. They had a little brother, Adam, but he had been killed on the same day at the same place and most likely at the same time. It's really too bad—it would've have been nice to meet Adam.  
  
"Hardy!"  
  
Forced out of my thoughts, I looked up. There was Lexi in a tank top and shorts. I kissed her mouth and muttered, "What?"  
  
"THAT is more like it."  
**********  
I watched Lily, open-mouthed. I mean, she wasn't supposed to be here! And, she'd just done something. I mean, why else would she have her 'I'm-the-greatest' grin on? Not that it's not on 20 hours a day otherwise. And I am not at all exaggerating, I swear. Lily's a great friend and everything, but sometimes she just goes OVERboard with the little pranks she pulls on James, of which a lot aren't even little—once she figured out how to make James's bed let anyone (and everyone) sit on it except for James. I really felt sorry for him then; I spent so much time at his house because of last summer I almost understand why he does half the stuff he does and acts the way he does. His cousins are the best, though—Jul and Dan, excellent Quidditch players. Either way, I'd hate to have Lily as an enemy. It's a good thing she's my best friend.  
  
But she's actually very smart. Somehow, she harnesses all that magic from inside her and pours it out everywhich way (which usually means toward James). She concentrates so hard on everything she does—except her studies. She's just barely passing now; I think her composite grade is in the seventy-percentile, and I'm not exactly sure but a passing grade is a seventy. I'm not nearly as smart as her, but I have an eighty-four composite. She practically reprimands me when I do my homework and don't go to the library with her, she's so obsessed with finding things to do to James that she hasn't already done to him. Her eyes have pored over at least a sixth of the books in the school library; by the time we finish school she'll have read all of them, I bet.   
  
I haven't told her about my idea for next summer yet: staying at the inn at the Leaky Cauldron (Dumbledore mentioned it to me at the start of this year—too bad he hadn't said it last year, ha ha) and hanging out in Diagon Alley. Summer after our second year will be a lot more interesting; we won't spend as much time reading school books like we did before we started our first year. Of course, Diagon Alley will obviously get boring after a long enough time, say three weeks, and nobody will let us into Knockturn Alley or something interesting. Although, I expect the likes of Lucius Malfoy there, not someone of Lily or my stature. James's house is surprisingly interesting; and his neighbors are, too. (guys and girls alike; I did make some new friends over the summer)  
  
Now, at Hogsmeade sitting in the back booth at the pub with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team around me, I could tell that Lily wasn't happy I had seen her. All I have to do now is just figure out what she had done...  
**********  
I could tell what had happened almost immediately. One second I was laughing with Sarah and the rest of the Quidditch team. The next I was completely mute, but my mouth was still wide open as if I were laughing, which I was obviously trying to do. I had no clue what happened; it was like I was deaf to myself.   
  
I stopped laughing and tried to say, "So, anyone know where Hardy is?" but all that came out was air. I tried other phrases too, but all of them didn't happen. I resorted to swearing consistently. No one could hear, so I didn't really give a damn.  
  
Sarah looked at me as if I was a fish, which I suppose I did look like since my mouth was moving but nothing was coming out of it. She shrugged out under my arm and scooted closer to Josh Patrick, the other Chaser for the team besides me and Sarah. I tried to cough. Josh reached around the back of Sarah's head and pounded me on the back. Like that helped. I jutted my elbow into his hand then slipped off the end of the seat.  
  
Which was about when I saw a flash of red hair stop for about a millisecond by the cheek of a guy at the bar and fly out the door. I followed.  
**********  
[a|n] cliffie! review. like the title; its a noun and a verb. n/m.  
email conshallow@hotmail.com with anything u wanna say. oh yeah, and i'm moving next week so dont expect me to update for a while since we have to get settled in and hook up our inet and everything. 


	11. lotsa fun

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 11.  
  
POV: Jeff, Andrea, James, Lily  
  
"What the...? Did that just happen?" I asked Rosmerta. "I did come in here with a redhead, right?"  
  
"Yes, but she's gone—now!" Rosmerta stared out the door of the Three Broomsticks, where she waitresses. A tall figure had just run past her and out the door, causing strands of hair on her head to whip across her face. "Messy black hair—James?"  
  
"Oy, James! What're you doing?" I sighed. "Time to be the cavalry." I grabbed a few Galleons from my coat pocket and placed them on the bar, adding, "Keep the tip; you deserve it after what's happened here today. He needs to learn that the women are chasing him, he doesn't need to." I gave her a grin.  
  
Rosmerta smiled back. "Must be how he is. The Quidditch team is leaving now; best not let them leave without paying. I'll see you around school, maybe."  
  
"Sure," I called, pushing the door open.  
**********  
I followed Sarah out the door. Josh stopped at the bar for a moment and paid, telling the barkeep to force James to pay if he came back. Ha, I'd like to see that. 'Mr. Potter, you must pay, before I put a full body bind on you!' I snickered out loud. "Oh, lord," I said. "Lily is really rubbing off on me." Sarah turned and grinned for a moment. She knew who Lily was. But how could she know what I was thinking of? Of course; she had a crush on James. I mean, it's not that obvious, but it's obvious to me having lived with him for three months and watching him surrounded by 'the ladies.'  
  
Suddenly, I heard the words 'James', 'idiot', and 'jeez' in the same sentence, and it wasn't Lily saying it. Listening carefully to what people around me were saying, I tried to figure out who it was who was speaking about him. I could tell by Sarah's frequent mutterings of "how could I have been so stupid?" and "what a loser!" that she was annoyed at James.   
  
Of course, we all were. He was supposed to pay! Josh had to pay for him, the lying cheat. If only he hadn't gone after Lily, or maybe if he had said something. Wait a minute: Lily—James—walk out—said something—it all makes sense now! Lily put a silencing charm on James, so he couldn't say anything to us. And, since he wasn't the attacker, he needs Lily to perform the countercourse so he can talk again. He still could have paid, though...  
  
Okay, now that I've put two and two together, what does it equal?  
  
"Uh, Sarah? If Josh asks, tell him I... Tell him I went for a walk. And when he starts yelling at you about me being twelve, say that I'm capable. Look at who my friends are!"  
**********  
I followed Lily out the Three Broomsticks. She was heading towards Honeydukes. Why, that piece of scum! She knew about the trapdoor. Great. I'll have to be more aware of my surroundings when I have important conversations from now on.  
  
I slipped into the candy store. Lily, being smart I guess, went towards a big group of Hogwarts students hoping to mingle and throw off any followers—she probably knew about me.  
  
But a pothole! "Free samples of Hard Rock Chokul!" I was salivating before she finished the sentence, and ended up third in the line. I couldn't remember any time they had every given away samples at Honeydukes. Must be a new marketing strategy, I thought, until I realized that it had given Lily sufficient enough time to get to the tunnel and be at least half-way through by the time I started. After struggling to say thank you to the sample-hander-outer, I headed for the trapdoor before I could make more of a fool of myself.  
  
Stumbling in the dark (I was so intent on finding Lily that I didn't think to light my wand), I finally found the passageway.   
  
It took another fifteen minutes for me to start my brain juices and turn on my wand. After that I was able to see every curve in the path before I hit the wall.  
  
In no time at all—to use a drastic understatement—I was climbing out of the one-eyed witch's hump. To my luck, Hardy and some girl were walking right towards me, staring at the ground in front of them and staying a few feet apart. Weird, I thought they were going together. I slipped back into the statue just in time to see McGonagall following them, wand raised. Interesting, I thought, a separation charm. More useful than a restraining order. Would help when I went to court against Lily—wait, I am getting way ahead of myself. First I have to find her.  
  
After McGonagall passed, I got out of the statue, shut it, and headed towards the Gryffindor common room as fast as I could without running. (Some of the portraits report students to Dumbledore. You always have to be careful not to run unless you don't pass a painting and are relatively close to your next class.)  
**********  
It took James a while, but he soon found Lily; 'soon' meaning three days later. She hadn't appeared at meals and he never saw her in the common room, explaining why it took him so long to find her. Meanwhile, Lily had been taking her meals earlier that the rest of the school or not with them, visiting the kitchens afterwards and taking a hoard of food back to her dorm room, and always being careful not to pass the Great Hall doors or somebody would see her skipping (like the first day, when a Ravenclaw asked if she was anorexic because she had not been inside. Lily said that she had eaten and had just left, heading the wrong way, which caused her to turn around. 'Bags of lies, swallow it up!' she had thought, hoping telepathic powers would mysteriously appear.).   
  
She was finally caught on the second floor one evening by none other than that very same Ravenclaw, who dragged her down to the Great Hall and force-fed Lily a well-done steak. Lily received detention for skipping dinner and it just so happened that James had detention the very same day for filling some Hufflepuff's goblets with pepper, causing them to sneeze with great clouds of brightly colored smoke. He had denied it but was caught anyway. (Which is not hard to believe, knowing James.)  
**********  
"So, you're anorexic, huh Lily? I hear there are groups you can join, sort of like AA."  
  
"Shut up, James! That is not a joking matter."  
  
"What, Al-Anon? I never said it was."  
  
"No, anorexia. Don't tease Lily. She is not anorexic; skinny, maybe, but not anorexic."  
  
"I never said she wasn't skinny. Why, is there some hologram around her hiding her rolls of tubular fat?" He enunciated the 't' in 'fat.' It was so nerve-wracking, but I held my cool and kept walking. Alexia could keep talking as long as she wanted, I won't say anything.  
  
"Anorexia is a disease, wise guy. I had a friend that was sent to the hospital because she didn't eat anything. She almost died."  
  
"Okay. The real-life example was a nice touch there. I'll shut up now."  
  
"Thank you, God. It took forever."  
  
"Look who's still talking!"  
  
"You didn't ask me to be quiet!"  
  
"So? I implied it!"  
  
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT THE F--- UP! It is very annoying."  
  
Yes, everyone looked at me. And yes, the next thing that happened was a full body bind and I was suddenly floating in the air following the others. Professor Oleson 'floated' me all the way to the Forbidden Forest. Then he dropped me on the ground and undid my body bind. I scrambled up quickly and stepped a bit to the side.  
  
"Please plan on saying nothing else this evening or I will have to put a Silencing charm on you."  
  
Will do, Mr. Annoying Potions Teacher, sir. That I said to myself. In real life I just nodded.  
  
"Thank you, ma'am. Now, everyone follow me into the forest. We will be collecting oignon circlettes. You should know what those are from your Herbology lessons, if they are sufficing nowadays. Remember, the purple ones are poisonous. When you find six yellow ones, your time for tonight is up." He didn't tell us what to do incase we were in danger. Like Oleson would care. Less students for him.  
  
Only six? That should be easy enough.   
  
I started walking deeper into the forest, leaving the other behind. If I remember correctly, oignons grow eighteen feet from an open meadow. My wand is one and a half feet long, so I just have to measure twelve wand lengths and I should find some oignon plants. I did a round-about and went back to the edge of the forest, starting to measure the ground where the darkness first set in.  
  
About a half hour later, I left the forest. Oleson hadn't told us what to do with the oignons once we had them, so I just headed back to the castle and left the oignons in the Potions office near the dungeons.  
  
As I walked back towards the Gryffindor tower, I heard voices in front of me. Luckily, they were unfamiliar. (Loud, but unfamiliar.) I hid in a crevice in the wall closest to the speakers.  
  
"All of you, back to your dormitories! Where is it written that your group of five fifth years is exempt from obeying school rules? If you find it, please inform me of your findings. But now, I believe that you are TO BE IN BED! It is far too late for any student to be up so late."  
  
"You're a student," I heard a voice mutter quietly. It was kind of low, so I guessed it was a guy.  
  
"Yes, but I am a Head Boy. The teachers trust me enough to allow me to stay up and catch idiots like you." This was most definitely a guy, because I saw a group of people being pushed forward by a tall—and handsome—boy with brown hair and a Head Boy badge pinned on his robes. There were two girls, one blonde and the other a brunette, in a row with three other boys (who had light brown, black, and blond hair). They were all dressed in casual clothing and were moving forward fast, thanks to repetetive pushes from the Head Boy.  
  
"That was harsh!" one of the girls suddenly exclaimed, giggling a little bit. The black-haired boy looked confused and looked at the the other girl, who was smirking so wide I was positive her lips would just stretch across her cheeks to her ears.  
  
"Well, Jonathan deserves harsher, the stupid git," she replied.  
  
The Head Boy, who I guessed was Jonathan, looked as if he would explode. He kept looking at his left wrist and quickly said, "Don't think I'm deaf over hear, Gwendolyn. Get your asses back into the Ravenclaw dorm before I drag you there myself, all of you!"  
  
"Gladly, your majesty. It gives me nothing other than pleasure to serve you," the boy with light brown hair said, and the blond one rolled his eyes. It was the first time I had heard him speak, but his voice sounded very familiar: like someone I grew up with or something like that.  
  
"Stop with the sarcasm, Broderick. Here's the statue. Go." He waited until one of the others quietly said the password and all five of them trooped into the opening. "Finally; master's going to be so angry with me. I've got to get going..."  
  
Master? Okay, a little over my head. As soon as he (Johnathan) was out of sight I stepped out of my hiding place.  
  
"Hey! There's someone else up!"   
  
"Oh great," I whispered under my breath as I started to run. I hadn't done anything wrong, except listen to that whole little conversation. Yes, running was a good idea. In the corner of my eye I could see the Fat Lady up ahead. Putting on an extra spurt of speed and shouted the password. "Orthopedic! Quick, wake up!" I obviously woke her and she opened rather slowly. I slipped in as fast as I could and pulled the frame shut.  
  
Panting near the opening, I could hear someone saying on the other side, "Damn, she got away!" and a different voice questioning, "Do you think she heard anything?" as well as the reply of, "Obviously. She ran!" and yet another person saying, "Oh well." Confusing? Yes.  
  
From behind me, a stern voice said, "And where have you been young lady?"  
  
"Detention," I replied quickly. Turning around, I grinned. "Andi, you are such a freak!"  
  
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for noticing, though."  
  
"You're very welcome. I'm dead tired, let's go upstairs and I'll explain everything to you."  
  
"Explain what?"  
  
"The fun I've just had."  
**********  
a/n attack of the writer's block! i dont think i've posted a chapter to this story in, like, ever! this is obviously not up to my usual standards [i kno, ur thinking 'she has standards?'] but review anyways. it'll make me feel better. and i know that anything you wrote during/after your writer's block was/is way better than this. wait, how does that make sense?  
the phrase 'going together': i know, i wouldnt have used it lest i moved, because i'd never heard anyone use that phrase to describe someone going out til i started at my new school.  
oh, and have you had krispy kreme doughnuts? yum! i am salivating, lol! that stuff is good. especially the samples of the hot fresh original glazed kind. i always get a devils food cake doughnut [oxymoron?] in the half-dozen we get each time we go there. yum........  
  
no flames please. constructive criticism... 


	12. more

Parts of a whole  
by shana  
chapter 12.  
  
POV: Andrea, Sarah, Lily, James  
  
I didn't stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the summer. I went back to James's house. Why, you ask? Well, let me explain.  
  
Around the end of January, Lily finally snapped. She put James in a full body bind and Silenced him—all this while he was still in bed, so he wasn't found until that evening when Sirius prodded James's bed thinking James had run away and put pillows to disguise it. Remus performed the countercurse and the teachers started to seriously consider expelling Lily. That of course, was until James got back at her. He pulled a simple yet effective trick: he placed an inkpot with its cover loosened in her backbag. Then the teachers just gave them both three detentions each and told them to stop.  
  
Surprisingly, they did.  
  
It was rumored that Dumbledore threatened to send Lily and James to separate schools on separate continents. It was also rumored that Snape caught them doing something unmentionable [and most likely false] out in the Forbidden Forest. Of course, all of these were started and fed in the same school that stated Dumbledore was having an affair with a sixth year.  
  
No one knew which of the various 'proven facts' to believe, least of all me. Because Lily stopped talking to me. And James started spending a lot of time hiding somewhere.  
  
A psychologist might have classified Lily and James as "suicidal, temperamental, or having an anger management complex" when they both became surprisingly mellow for a three-and-a-half month stretch, but I knew them both better than that shrink possibly could have. Sure, James is a self-centered egomaniac who will probably never grow out of it. And everyone knows that Lily is a competitive freak who lives for revenge. But as soon as they were the center of every conversation under the Hogwarts roofs, both of them backed down. James started listening more than he talked, and when he spoke it wasn't always about himself. Lily stopped avenging everything—probably because there was nothing to avenge seeing as both stopped pranking each other.  
  
It seemed all was quiet and well in Hogwarts—until the last Quidditch game of the season: the battle for the Quidditch Cup.  
**********  
Everyone was really excited; Gryffindor was in the running for the Quidditch Cup again! It was the first time in two years.  
  
The match was going to take place in a week and three days—on a Thursday. This Saturday was the last Hogsmeade day of the year, and everyone eligible couldn't wait five whole days. The week seemed to stretch endlessly and Monday never turned into Tuesday. Finally, after the last class of the day, everyone filtered into their separate dormitories to get a head start on homework or to get some well-deserved rest.  
  
I sat near the fire in the Gryffindor common room and tuned out the noise. I was studying Quidditch strategies for about the millionth time. I knew from experience playing rugby that you can never be too sure of what you remember when your adrenaline is rushing. Every bit of drilling stuff into your head helps. I had just closed my eyes to recall what the Gould Weave went like when someone suddenly said: "Hey; mind if I join you?"  
  
I looked up and saw James. I smiled at him. "Hi James. I'm just going over some plays."  
  
"Last minute cramming, eh?" He sat next to me, reading the notes in my hand. "Well, I am the master. How do you think I pass my exams?" I laughed at that—maybe a little too loudly. Before I could say anything, he continued. "So, I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade together on Saturday. I got permission from McGonagall to buy some new Quidditch socks; lucky she doesn't know that there aren't Quidditch socks." He stared at me with those gorgeous chestnut eyes. 'Get ahold of yourself, Sarah,' I told myself. It was true; I had built up a kind of ice woman reputation in school. I was always hanging out with the guys somewhere, like a basketball court or a football game. I'd never really gone out with someone unless you counted second grade when me and my friends were convinced that you needed a boyfriend for the class St. Valentine's Day party.  
  
After what I'm sure was four hours, I stuttered, "Okay." Then I sat up a little straighter added, "Do you want to meet here or there?"  
  
"Here okay with you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay. See you then, I guess."  
  
Obviously he forgot that we had four full days of classes until then. I struggled not to laugh and forced my eyes back on to the page of plays.  
  
As soon as James disappeared up the staircase—and I mean as soon as he did—Jessica made her way across the common room literally squealing.  
  
"Omigodomigodomigodomigod!"  
  
"In English?" I asked.  
  
"Oh my god! What'd he say?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"James, of course! Who else? Never mind, but what did he say?"  
  
Jeez, I never knew a girl—anyone could get so hyperactive. "He said words."  
  
"Duh, how else would he ask you out?"  
  
I rolled my eyes, putting my papers into a folder. "He didn't ask me out."  
  
"Oh yeah? Then what did he do?"  
  
"He asked if I would go to Hogsmeade with him."  
  
"And what's that if not a date?"  
  
"Maybe he just needs a pocket."  
  
"A pocket? Don't you think he has pockets on his robes and jeans and—"  
  
"Why are you overreacting? What, am I immune to James's mysterious powers or something?" How could I explain to her that it was not a date while my heart was fluttering at the fact that it very well could be?  
  
"Obviously. He's gorgeous; how can you not see it?"  
  
Funny, I had just described him that way. "Just chill, Jess. When I come back Saturday night I'll tell you everything."  
  
"Wait, this Saturday night? That's when your date is? What about your party?"  
  
Subject change. Thank you, lord almighty. "I told you, I don't want a birthday party. Just give me some presents and I'll be happy."  
  
Jessica frowned. "But I invited the whole year!"  
  
"Well, un-invite them."  
  
"I can't do that! That'll be rude."  
  
"Okay. I'll stay away from the tower all night."  
  
"Where are you going to sleep?"  
  
"I don't know; I have some friends in Ravenclaw."  
  
"Fine. Be that way." She stomped off in a huff. I watched her retreating figure for a few moments, then got up and ran to catch up with her at the top of the stairs. I caught her just before she went into our room.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jess. I'll make sure we get back early so I can come to the party."  
  
"Thanks, Sarah. I'll make sure it's a night you never forget." She hugged me.  
  
I grinned when we separated and pushed the door open. "Okay, then; who exactly did you invite?"  
**********  
It was Thursday by the time I was finished with all the homework the teachers had piled on us (at the end of the year, of all times to pile it on!). I was sitting as far away from the fire as I could; it's not like I was hot, it's that all the people I don't like happen to sit by the fire. And there are only a few people who I don't like.  
  
Besides being Thursday, it was also pretty late. Andi was already sleeping, of course; her and her ideas of getting a good night's rest before school. Whatever. Not many other people were in the common room, except for the Quidditch team and some sixth years applying for early graduation next December. I was still reading The Last of the Really Great Whangadoodles. I haven't had time to finish it, but now I have nothing else to do.  
  
After I had read about one and a half chapters, the team left—rather loudly, I must say. I mean, I felt like shouting, "There are people trying to read in here!" Of course, had I done that, half the house would have been upon me and we wouldn't want that happening now, would we?  
  
Three chapters later, I started becoming tired. There was no one left in the room; everyone had quietly gone about to do their own little thing. Remembering I had classes the next morning (in a few hours, actually), I headed up to bed. Instead, I stopped, finding a folded piece of parchment on the floor. It was folded in half, but creases told me it had once been folded twice more. Having the inquisitive mind I had, I opened the paper. All I saw were a bunch of Quidditch terms and drawings, probably indicating plays or something. They were written in pretty, distinctly feminine handwriting. But on the other side were some notes, not on Quidditch though. I could make out something to the likes of 'See you Sat. at Hog.' and then an even messier 'Jerms.' Either it was cryptic, I was losing my sight, or this person could not spell. And I couldn't fathom what the writer was trying to say.  
  
Sighing, I put the paper on the nearest table, guessing the owner would realize it was missing the next morning. Then, I finally went back to bed, just then remembering that I had a Potions exam the next morning.  
**********  
a/n hee hee, a beautifully ended fake cliffie! Wait for the next chapter, coming soon to ffn. sorry this chap is like half fluff and half crap, lol. -shana 


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